NBA Basketball
2024-03-22 - Boston Celtics at Detroit Pistons
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : NBA Basketball
Friday 22nd March 2024 - Scheduled 7pm
11pm (British Time)
Preview
Attention will already be turning towards the PlayOffs after the win over the Milwaukee Bucks has almost certainly guaranteed the Boston Celtics (55-14) the top Seed in the Eastern Conference. A few more wins are still going to be needed to secure the overall best record in the NBA, but the real season will begin for the Celtics once we move into the post-season.
Championship or bust is the feeling around the team, but the focus has to be making sure they go into the First Round of the PlayOffs without losing too much rhythm. Players are going to get a chance to rest any knocks or niggles they are going to be feeling, although the Celtics have shown they have considerable depth and they will be backed by many to finally win the NBA Title again.
Getting through the tough Eastern Conference will be a challenge, but the Celtics have looked the best team by a considerable distance for the majority of the season. Looking like and actually being is very different though and Boston will have something to prove after coming up short in the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
They should be able to keep the positives going in this second game with the Detroit Pistons (12-57) in the space of a few days- earlier this week the Celtics were able to rest the likes of Jrue Holiday and Jayson Tatum in a crushing win over the Pistons.
Jayson Tatum was back in the win over Milwaukee, but Holiday is still being tended back to full health and is likely to sit out again. This should not matter much to Boston against a short-handed Detroit team that have put a couple more starters on the shelf for the rest of the regular season and who are on course for a franchise worst record.
The Pistons are still trying, but there is a real issue with the talent they are being able to put on the court as they sign players on short ten day contracts to plug the gaps in the rotation. It has led to some blowout losses in the last couple of weeks and Detroit may struggle to make this much more competitive than the 25 point loss to Boston on Monday.
The only positive for Detroit may be the fact that this game is the first of a back to back spot for Boston and the Celtics are playing after a big win over the Milwaukee Bucks. They have to hope that Boston are perhaps not that focused on beating a struggling opponent with a game at Chicago to come, but even then it may be an issue to keep this one close on the scoreboard.
Only a poor shooting Fourth Quarter allowed the Bucks to pull close to the Boston Celtics and an average performance from the Number 1 Seed in the Eastern Conference should be enough to earn a win and a cover of this inflated spread.
Detroit have lost four in a row and three of those losses have been by at least 13 points.
Prior to the eventual 3 point win over Milwaukee, Boston had won five in a row by at least 15 point margins and they can get back on the blowout train on Friday.
Prediction
Lay the points with the road favourite.
The Pick :
Detroit Pistons 103-119 Boston Celtics
BEST BETTING TIP :
I'll back Boston Celtics - 13 Points at -110 with Bovada
