Boston Celtics vs Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Pick & Prediction 1/2/24
Making on a bet on this NBA game featuring the Celtics versus the Thunder? Tip off is at at 8:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on NBCS. The game will be played at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK. The Celtics are favored in this non-conference showdown. The game’s over/under is currently at 239.5 points.
BOSTON CELTICS VS OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER BETTING PICK
The Pick: Oklahoma City Thunder +3
This game will be played at Paycom Center at 8:00 ET on Tuesday, January 2nd.
WHY BET THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 117-113 in favor of the Thunder.
- Our projections have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finishing with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
- From the field, we have the Thunder finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.2% and knocking down 16 threes.
Do the Celtics Have What it Takes on the Road?
Coming into today’s game vs. the Thunder, the Celtics have an overall record of 26-6, and they have won six straight. When looking at the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics are in 1st place.
Boston will be looking to pick up another win as they have several streaks on the line. The Celtics’ current streaks include a 16-game home winning streak, six-game overall winning streak, and four-game road winning streak.
Against the spread, Boston is sitting at 15-15 for the season. On the road, the Celtics have an average scoring margin of +6.9 points per game compared to +14.1 at home. Boston’s road ATS record is currently 6-9.
In non-conference games, the Celtics have gone 5-2 on the road this season. When facing lower-scoring OU lines than today’s line of 239.5, the average over/under in their games has been 228.4. Their two games with higher OU lines than 239.5 have both finished below the mark.
In their most recent game, the Celtics had a strong offensive showing, putting up 134 points vs. the Spurs. Overall, the Celtics shot 53.7% from the field and went 17/22 from the free throw line. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics in scoring with 25 points, while Jaylen Brown chipped in 24 points.
At present, the Celtics’ defense is ranked 4th, allowing 110.2 points per game. In the terms of takeaways, Celtics are causing 12.4 turnovers per game, ranking 8th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 5th in rejections, averaging 6.2 blocked shots each game.
Can the Thunder Grab a Win at Home?
Heading into today’s matchup vs. the Celtics, the Thunder find themselves as the 3-point underdogs at home. If they are able to pull off the win, they will also move into a tie with Boston for the 2nd-best record in the Western Conference. So far, Oklahoma City is 22-9 and have put together four straight wins.
When playing teams outside of the Western Conference, the Thunder have been dominant this season, going 8-1 in these games. Against other West teams, they are 14-8 compared to 13-5 at home.
Coming into today’s game, the average over/under line in their games is 232.1. This season, 28 of their games have had lower over/under lines than today’s line of 239.5. For the season, their over/under record is 17-14.
So far, OKC has been the underdog in 12 of their 31 games, and they have gone 9-3 against the spread in those games. The Thunder’s current ATS winning streak is at four games, and their average scoring differential of +2.5 points per game as the underdog is just slightly below their +8.4 home scoring margin.
In their game against the Nets, the Thunder had a strong offensive performance, scoring 124 points. They shot 54.2% from the field and were 16/20 from the free-throw line. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring with 24 points, followed by Josh Giddey who had 20.
For the season, Oklahoma City is sitting 11th in terms of points allowed per game (112.7). It is worth noting they have given up a fewer number of points in two straight games. When it comes to forced turnovers, the Thunder are forcing 11.6 per game, which is 4th in the league. They also come into the game sitting 1st in blocked shots at 6.6 per game.