The Boston Celtics (35-26, 30-29-2 ATS) will look to continue their winning ways on Saturday afternoon against the Detroit Pistons (14-45, 28-31 ATS). Boston will be looking to win their second in a row, as will the Pistons. The C’s are coming off a dominating win over the Brooklyn Nets, while the Pistons just squeaked out a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to the online sports book Betonline.ag, the Boston Celtics are 10.5-point favorites:
- Point Spread: Boston Celtics -10.5
- Over-Under: 215 points
- Money line: Boston Celtics -650, Detroit Pistons +500
Injury Report
Boston’s injury report is clear ahead of the contest. Jaylen Brown seemingly injured his wrist against the Nets, but he is not listed on the report.
Frank Jackson (back) is the only player listed on the injury report for Detroit, listed as doubtful.
Predicted Starting Lineups
Boston Celtics
G: Marcus Smart
G: Jaylen Brown
F: Jayson Tatum
F: Al Horford
C: Robert Williams
Detroit Pistons
G: Cade Cunningham
G: Corey Joseph
F: Saddiq Bey
F: Jerami Grant
C: Isaiah Stewart
Boston Celtics Overview
Over the course of the last two months, the Celtics have been dominated on the defensive end. Although they’ve been playing some subpar competition, they have been blowing teams out, for the most part. They were up by as much as 29 points against the Nets on Thursday night. Regardless of the opponents they’ve been facing, they’ve been winning by healthy margins. (With their previous game against the Pistons being the obvious outlier.)
The Celtics now sit at sixth in the Eastern Conference and are only one game out of the five seed at the moment. At the same time, they’ve built up a (rather small) 1.5-game lead over the seven-seeded Toronto Raptors. It’s going to be a tight race for the rest of the season in the East.
Detroit Pistons Overview
As for the Pistons, they are actually on a two-game winning streak. That includes their win over the C’s before the All-Star break. Detroit then came back from the All-Star break with a big-time win over the Cavs. It marked only their 14th win on the season, though, so it’s clear that they are well on their way to a top-three pick this offseason. And that was always going to be the goal.
While Cade Cunningham may be the most intriguing player on the team, Jerami Grant is the main guy Boston has to watch out for. The last time these two teams squared off, he hit a tough mid-range jumper over Jayson Tatum to earn the Pistons a win. If there’s one thing that’s for sure, it’s that the Pistons will come to play.
Prediction
Detroit plays with constant energy and hustle, so it’s up to Boston to match that intensity. The last time they played the Pistons, they failed to do just that, coming out flat right before the All-Star break. It ended up snapping their nine-game win streak. Just because the Pistons have struggled this season doesn’t mean the game will be a cakewalk. The C’s learned that the hard way last time out.
After that, Boston’s defense needs to continue to play at an elite level. Obviously, that’s going to be a major key for the rest of the season, but it should continue to be reiterated. That’s the win condition for the Celtics from here on out. Play amazing defense.
And lastly, Boston needs to hit the glass. Over the course of the season, the Celtics have struggled to pull down rebounds, and it’s ended up costing them some important possessions. Having Robert Williams back definitely helps with that, but regardless, it has to be a team effort on the boards. Boston can’t let Detroit dominate the offensive glass.
Boston Celtics 102, Brooklyn Nets 89
TIP-OFF: 12:00 p.m. @ Little Caesars Arena
RADIO: 98.5 The Sports Hub
TV: NBC Sports Boston
