NBA Odds: Celtics Narrow Betting Underdogs Thursday Against Wizards

The Boston Celtics will try to avoid posting losses in consecutive road games for the first time in almost a year when they visit the Washington Wizards on Thursday as 1.5-point undedogs on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.

Boston is coming off an ugly 111-91 loss in Toronto as a 5-point underdog on Tuesday to fall to 2-3 straight up in five road games going into Thursday night’s Celtics vs. Wizards betting matchup at Capital One Arena.

The Celtics enjoy a respectable 5-2 SU run despite their recent road woes, and maintain a slender one-game lead over the Raptors atop the NBA Eastern Conference standings. Boston has also paid out regularly at the sportsbooks over the past two weeks, going 6-1 against the spread over its past seven games, including three outright victories as betting underdogs.

They dominated in a 113-102 win over the Los Angeles Clippers as 3-point road underdogs on January 24, and closed out their recent Western swing with a narrow 111-110 win in Denver on January 29 while pegged as 1-point underdogs.

In addition, the Celtics regularly have racked up hefty point totals in recent contests away from TD Garden, averaging 110 points per game over five road games ahead of Tuesday’s loss to the Raptors. However, they likely will need more of the same against a Wizards squad that has rediscovered its offensive touch during a 5-1 SU and ATS run.

The Wizards closed out a three-game road trip with a 115-102 loss in Philadelphia as 6-point underdogs on Tuesday, ending a five-game SU and ATS run that has lifted them into the top half of the Eastern Conference standings. Even with its loss to the 76ers, Washington has racked up an impressive 115.1 points per game in its past seven overall.

Home court has been particularly kind to Washington. The Wizards are 12-4 SU over their past 16 home dates, including outright wins as betting underdogs over both the Raptors and Oklahoma City in their past two at Capitol One Arena, and they have won and covered as narrow betting chalk in two straight home clashes with Boston.

Following Thursday’s game the Celtics open a three-game homestand with a Friday night visit from the Indiana Pacers before hosting the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Boston has taken five straight from the Pacers, including a pair of SU wins in Indiana earlier this season, according to the OddsShark NBA Database. The Celtics also romped to a 102-88 victory over Cleveland as 3-point home favorites on January 3, but have failed to tally consecutive home wins over the Cavaliers since 2013.