NBA Odds - Celtics Get Points vs. Warriors as They Chase Cleveland

  • In Charles Jay
  • Wed, Mar 8th, 2017 2:32:34 pm
  • By Charles Jay - Exclusive to OSGA


The Boston Celtics would like to challenge for the Eastern Conference lead, and it would really help if they could pull off a victory over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night.

The Boston Celtics have to qualify as one of the more surprising teams in the NBA this season. Not that they weren't going in a positive direction, but to have them actually challenging for the Eastern Conference lead this late in the season is a testament to the job Brad Stevens has done at the helm. On Wednesday, they will line up for action against the defending West champion Golden State Warriors in a game that is scheduled to get underway at 10:35 PM ET at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. This is a venue where the Celtics ended Golden State's undefeated streak at home last season (back on April 1), so it would be understandable that the Warriors might be looking for a little payback.

BetAnySports customers will have the chance to get reduced juice on the NBA odds, and then, after the game has begun, they can place wagers in real time using the mechanism available through Live Betting Ultra.

Boston Celtics oddsBoston is just three games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the East, with a robust 40-24 straight-up record. But they have to look behind them, because the Washington Wizards are just a game behind them. In the East, the difference between the second and third spots could wind up making something of a difference in the first round of the playoffs.

Golden State was obviously disappointed in last year's NBA Finals as they blew a 3-1 lead in games to lose to Cleveland. Then they made the biggest move the off-season, signing Kevin Durant as a free agent. Durant was leading this team in scoring and rebounding before going down with a knee injury, so the Warriors will try to continue to charge forward without him for the time being. They are on top of the conference standings with a 52-11 straight-up record (29-32-2 ATS), but they lead by only 2.5 games over the San Antonio Spurs.

In the NBA odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, the Warriors are solid favorites at home:

Golden State Warriors -8.5
Boston Celtics +8.5

Over 222.5 points -110
Under 222.5 points -110

Both of these teams are well noted for the way they distribute the ball on offense, and that is a reflection on the coaching. Golden State is first in the NBA in assists, with 66.2% of all baskets coming by way of that, while Boston ranks third in the category. And the Celtics are known as a team that can take care of the basketball; they have the fifth-best turnover percentage in the league. So fundamentally, these are two clubs that definitely stand out.

Golden State Warriors betting previewObviously a lot of credit has to go to Stevens, who had previously led Butler to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA championship game. He took over as the youngest coach in the league, had to change the culture around the Celtics, and as BetAnySports patrons know, he did so relatively quickly. Isaiah Thomas, who was the last player chosen in the draft when he came out of the University of Washington, has emerged as a genuine star, and he is currently second the league in scoring, at just under 30 points per game. He is surrounded by a nice ensemble, and Boston added to that in the off-season with All-Star center/forward Al Horford, who has been bothered by an elbow injury lately but should be available for action.

The Warriors are capable all around, with then Offensive Rating that is #1 in the league, and a #3 Defensive Rating. Their margin of victory (+12.06 points) is the best in the NBA by far. And although they had 38.3% of their triples, which ranks third in the league, they are also deadly from right inside the arc, shooting a league-high 45.6% from 16 feet out to the three-point line. This is a much better shooting team than Boston, which has been below 42.5% in five of its last seven games. But each of these teams is relatively weak on the rebounding end. They both have been trending "under." The Warriors have gone five out of six in that direction, while Boston is 12-3-1 to the under over the last 16 games.

BetAnySports customers have the opportunity to get reduced juice, which gives them better NBA betting odds, in addition to the opportunity to place wagers in real time through Live Betting Ultra...... Are number of ways to get involved opening up an account, including your Visa card, person-to-person transfers and the virtual currency of Bitcoin, which is fast and easy with their automated system!


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