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Nets vs. Celtics Odds, Picks, Predictions: Can Brooklyn Keep Pace Without KD, Simmons?

Brenden Schaeffer

Last Updated: February 1, 2023 3:12 PM EST • 2 min 22 sec read.

Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets passes over James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 25, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets passes over James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 25, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images via AFP.

The sportsbooks believe the Boston Celtics will have an easier time dispatching the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday than they did with other recent home opponents. Read on for our top Nets vs. Celtics NBA picks based on the best NBA odds.

The Celtics (36-15) lead the Eastern Conference standings and face a playoff-caliber Nets (31-19) team that lacks its leading superstar. Brooklyn power forward Kevin Durant remains out with an injury, leading expectations to side heavily with Boston in this matchup.

But are oddsmakers not giving the Nets enough credit for their stout road play this season?

Here is our best Nets vs. Celtics NBA pick (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Check out our best NBA betting sites.

Nets vs. Celtics Game Info

  • Date: Wednesday, Feb. 1, 7:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN
  • Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Nets vs. Celtics Odds

Check out our NBA Finals odds and NBA MVP odds.

Nets vs. Celtics Odds Analysis

The Celtics opened as 8.5-point favorites and have increased to -9 or -9.5 across our affiliated sportsbooks. Despite this line movement, only 39% of point-spread wagers were placed on the Celtics.

The total opened at 226.5 and saw a moderate decrease to between 224 and 224.5 across the board. That caused bettors to more strongly consider the Over as 60% of wagers on the total went Over.

Nets vs. Celtics Pick

Nets +9 (-105 via DraftKings) vs. Celtics ⭐⭐⭐

The Celtics defeated the Nets twice by 11 points this season--once with Durant active and once with him out due to injury. Both contests, though, were in Brooklyn. Based on the trends, backing the Nets on the road is a more profitable endeavor.

While Brooklyn played sub-.500 ball against the spread at home this year, the Nets have the NBA's second-best outright road winning percentage and are 15-12 ATS as the away team. Boston is a tough to knock off at TD Garden (19-6 outright at home) but the Celtics are flimsier when covering the gaudy spreads they face on a nearly nightly basis.

Boston is just 13-12 ATS at home this season and faces a ballooning spread Wednesday despite each of its last three home matchups decided in overtime. The Celtics have one of the league's best defenses, but even without Durant recently, Brooklyn averaged 114.5 points per game and hasn't lost by this spread over its past eight games.

With KD and point guard Ben Simmons out, look for point guard Kyrie Irving to take a leading role as he travels to his old stompin’ grounds in Boston. Irving putting on a show could be all the Nets need to keep this one in the single-digits against a Celtics team that struggled to pull away from solid opponents at home in recent weeks.

Nets vs. Celtics Best Odds

DraftKings (-105)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
+9+9+9.5+9+9
-105-106-115-110-110

The best number available on the Nets' spread is the +9.5 line you’ll find at BetMGM. However, that number includes inflated -115 odds. The half-point you gain doesn’t quite balance out the 10 points you’ll lose compared to DraftKings' +9 juicy odds.

If you look at standard -110 odds like those at Caesars or PointsBet, BetMGM's offer is more hyped up. But it should cost you the difference from -105 to -115 to buy a half-point, so play at DK or with FD's -106 minuscule odds difference. If the spread pushes to +10, it becomes a four-star recommendation on the road underdogs. 

Nets-Celtics pick made 2/01/2023 at 2:05 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Brenden Schaeffer
Since graduating from the University of Missouri in 2016, Brenden Schaeffer has covered the St. Louis Cardinals and Blues hockey as a writer for KMOV in St. Louis. He also co-hosts 'The Big Show' on KTGR radio in Columbia, Missouri. The show airs in afternoon drive, weekdays from 4-6 p.m. Brenden has contributed to SBR since 2021, providing insights on NFL, NCAAF, NCAAB, and the NBA. You can download his daily baseball podcast, B-Schaeff Daily, on Spotify or Apple podcasts, and you can find Brenden across social media @bschaeffer12.