Celtics Odds, Edges: Finding Analytical Advantages Vs. Trail Blazers
Boston is a slight underdog shorthanded against Portland
The Boston Celtics travel to Portland for the second game of a back-to-back Saturday night, shorthanded without Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Romeo Langford against the Trail Blazers.
For that reason, Boston is a slight underdog at +1 against the spread and +100 moneyline. Although, Portland notably will be without Damian Lillard, with Norman Powell only "probable" after a nasal fracture. For our purposes, we'll assume he's going to play masked up when weighing betting angles.
Comparing data from Sportradar and betting lines from DraftKings Sportsbooks, here are some wagers to consider:
CJ McCollum OVER 24 Points (-130)
The guard has averaged 19.9 points against the Celtics in his career, but Boston is without two of its core players who each excel on defense. And with Lillard out and Powell potentially limited, it's a safe bet that McCollum could carry the offensive bulk.
A $130 bet would pay out $100.
Dennis Schröder OVER 18.5 points (+100) and/or Josh Richardson OVER 10.5 points (-120)
These two offseason acquisitions have been huge for the Celtics, especially as Jaylen Brown has missed 10 of their 23 games this season. But with Al Horford out as well, Boston will desperately be looking for offense in support of Jayson Tatum. Sounds like a good night for either Schröder and Richardson to surpass their scoring averages, especially with the former putting up 20.5 points per game as a starter.
A $100 bet on Schröder to hit the over in points wins $100, while a $100 payout on the over for Richardson would take a $120 wager.
