NBA Playoff Odds: Wizards Favored To Win Game 6 Vs. Celtics, Extend Series
The Boston Celtics will try to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak in Washington and clinch a berth in the Eastern Conference finals on Friday when they take on the Wizards in Game 6 of their second-round NBA playoff series as five-point underdogs on the NBA betting lines.
The home team has claimed straight-up and against-the-spread wins in all five games of this series going into Friday night?s Celtics vs. Wizards betting matchup at Verizon Center, including Boston?s 123-101 victory as four-point home chalk Wednesday in Game 5.
That victory gave Boston a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series and moved the club to within one win of a berth in the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2012. However, the Celtics have enjoyed little success in road dates with the Wizards in recent years, losing four straight by an average of 21.5 points, and are 2-7 SU and 2-6-1 ATS in their past nine visits to Washington.
The Celtics were held to 93 or fewer points on four occasions during that stretch, including a 116-89 loss as 5 1/2-point underdogs in Game 3 of this series.
Boston followed that defeat with a 121-102 loss as a five-point underdog in Game 4, extending the club?s current run when pegged as a road underdog of five or more points during the postseason to a dismal 2-17 SU and 7-12 ATS, according to the OddsShark NBA Database.
The Wizards have been dominant at home, going unbeaten SU in five games in this postseason, and 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS in their past 10 overall. But the club has endured some road struggles of their own during the playoffs, losing seven of eight SU, and going 2-6 ATS.
It has been over three years since the Wizards last followed up a home win over the Celtics with a victory in Boston, a feat they must now accomplish if they are to advance past the second round of the playoffs for the first time since their last NBA title win in 1979.
Not surprisingly, Washington now trails the Celtics on the NBA series prices with distant +280 odds, and is pegged as a +6600 long shot on the NBA championship odds. However, the Wizards have demonstrated resilience following defeats on the road, going 10-3 SU in 13 home dates immediately following a road loss this season, including victories in their past five
Conversely, the Celtics are on just an 8-7 SU run in road games that immediately follow a SU win at TD Garden, but remain -360 favorites on the series prices ahead of Friday’s clash.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
