NBA

Celtics-Pelicans Betting Odds, Preview, and Predictions | BetOnline.ag

The Boston Celtics (25-25, 23-25-2 ATS) take on the New Orleans Pelicans (18-30, 22-25-1 ATS) on Saturday night on night two of a back-to-back. Boston will be looking to bounce back after an ugly loss to Atlanta, while the Pelicans will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak of their own.

According to the online sports book Betonline.ag, the Boston Celtics are 5.5-point favorites:

Point Spread: Boston Celtics -5.5
Over-Under: 212 points
Money line: Boston Celtics -218, Atlanta Hawks +188

Injury Report

The only two players listed on Boston’s injury report are PJ Dozier and Bol Bol, who are both out for a significant amount of time.

Meanwhile, New Orleans has seven players listed on their injury report. Devonte’ Graham (left ankle sprain) and Jonas Valanciunas (non-COVID illness) are both questionable. The Pelicans also have five players out – Brandon Ingram (right ankle sprain), Kira Lewis Jr. (ACL/MCL sprain), Didi Louzada (health and safety protocols), Trey Murphy III (health and safety protocols), and Zion Williamson (foot).

Boston Celtics

G: Marcus Smart

G: Jaylen Brown

F: Jayson Tatum

F: Al Horford

C: Robert Williams

New Orleans Pelicans

G: Devonte’ Graham

G: Josh Hart

F: Garrett Temple

F: Herbert Jones

C: Willy Hernangomez

Boston Celtics Overview

The Celtics were riding high going into their tilt with the Hawks on Friday night. Unfortunately, they fell right back down to earth. Their offense was nowhere to be found as they continuously tried to force the issue late in the game. Nothing was flowing as it had been in the previous two contests, and the C’s failed to adapt.

Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown shot poorly from three, and yet that was still the game plan late in the game. Brown spoke about this poor offensive execution in his postgame press conference. He also said that the team tends to rest on their laurels after they string a couple of wins together. As the trade deadline inches closer, Brad Stevens has some serious decisions to make.

New Orleans Pelicans Overview

Boston took down the Pelicans in their last meeting thanks to a late-game push. New Orleans is 5-5 in their last ten games and has lost two in a row to the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets. However, they have been playing without their two best players in those contests. Both Ingram and Valanciunas have misused some time.

In their absence, a couple of players have been stepping up to the plate. Josh Hart has looked solid, but it’s been Willy Hernangomez who has led the way for New Orleans. In their last five games, Hernangomez is averaging 23.5 points and 13.0 rebounds while shooting 55.2 percent from the field. He’s obviously not an elite offensive talent, but he’s putting in the work and grinding it out for the Pelicans.

Prediction

The key to winning for the Celtics has become increasingly clear – shoot the ball well. When the C’s make their threes, they win. And when they don’t, they lose. They can play elite defense, terrible defense, forget to drive, be missing five players, or any number of things. If they don’t make their shots, they can’t win the game. Simple as that.

However, this means that they have to learn to adapt. If Tatum and Brown aren’t making their shots, they need to change their approach. Jacking up shot after shot when they are cold is a sure-fire way to lose the game. They need to get into the paint and try to distribute the shots to other players on the team.

Lastly, they need to come to play. As Brown mentioned, the Celtics tend to get lazy when they’ve won a couple of games in a row. While they obviously didn’t beat Atlanta, playing against a subpar team like the injured Pelicans could bring out that same tendency. If the C’s don’t step up to the plate, they’ll have no chance of winning.

There’s a good chance that the Celtics come out with a fire under them after losing to Atlanta. However, there’s also a good chance that they play down to their competition. It’s tough to tell anymore.