NBA Playoff Odds: Celtics Home Favorites Vs. Wizards In Crucial Game 2
The Boston Celtics will be looking to take a 2-0 series lead in their second-round NBA playoff matchup with Washington when they host the Wizards on Tuesday night in Game 2 as 5.5-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston kicked off the series on Sunday with a 123-111 win as a 4-point home favorite and now has covered in five straight outings going into Tuesday night?s Wizards vs. Celtics betting matchup at TD Garden.
The Celtics have shaken off a poor postseason start that saw them drop their first two home games to the underdog Chicago Bulls. The C’s responded by holding the Bulls to just 90.5 points per game in four straight victories to win the series and advance beyond the opening round of the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2012.
With just three against-the-spread wins in their final 10 regular season games, the Celtics looked like they would carry their season-long struggles at the sportsbooks into the postseason. But with Sunday?s win, the club now has covered in five straight games for the first time since December 2015.
While the OVER prevailed in totals betting in Game 1, the UNDER is a strong 12-4-1 in the past 17 games when the Celtics cover, including 15 outings in which the club was the betting favorite.
However, the C’s have struggled to reward bettors when favored by five or more points, going 4-9 ATS in their past 13 overall, and a dismal 6-14 ATS in their past 20 games on their home court, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
The Wizards are looking to halt a six-game straight-up slide at TD Garden and turn around their recent disappointing performance at the sportsbooks. Washington has compiled a 3-4 ATS mark during this postseason, dropping the club to 11-18-1 ATS in its past 30 games overall, and is 4-9 ATS in its past 13 as betting underdogs.
With a 20-25 SU record this season, Washington also is the weakest road team remaining in the NBA playoffs.
Road wins have been particularly scarce for Washington since mid-March, with the Wizards going 5-10 SU and ATS in their past 15 road games overall. The club has averaged a respectable 107.3 points per game during that stretch but has been regularly dominated by home teams, which have tallied 115 or more points on six occasions, forcing the point total OVER nine times.
Following Tuesday?s clash, the series moves to Washington on Thursday for Game 3. The Wizards have taken five of seven SU from the Celtics at Verizon Center, averaging 114.4 points per game during that stretch, and claiming victory by double-digit margins on four occasions.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
