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The Boston Celtics challenged the Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 over the weekend, and they'll look to pull off the upset in Game 2 of their 2021 NBA Playoffs series. Barclays Center hosts the proceedings on Tuesday evening. Second-seeded Brooklyn finished the regular season with a 48-24 record and the Nets are led by a trio of superstars in Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Boston, the No. 7 seed in the East, is keyed by Jayson Tatum, with Jaylen Brown (wrist) ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. The latest Celtics vs. Nets odds from William Hill Sportsbook list Brooklyn as a nine-point favorite. The over-under for total points is set at 227. Before finalizing any Nets vs. Celtics picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned over $9,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up almost $800 on its top-rated picks this season and entered the first full week of the 2021 NBA Playoffs on a stunning 99-66 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread dating back to last season. Anybody who has followed it has seen massive returns.  

Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Celtics in the NBA Playoffs 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Celtics vs. Nets:

  • Celtics vs. Nets spread: Nets -9
  • Celtics vs. Nets over-under: 227 points
  • Celtics vs. Nets money line: Nets -475, Celtics +400
  • BOS: The Celtics are 4-6 against the spread in the last 10 games
  • BKN: The Nets are 6-0 against the spread in the last six games

Why the Celtics can cover

Boston certainly misses Brown, but the Celtics have strong shooting and enough playmaking to get by. Tatum is a star-quality player, averaging 26.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game this season, and Kemba Walker averaged 19.3 points per contest in the regular season. Boston is a top-10 offensive team in the NBA on a per-possession basis, with 37.4 percent shooting from 3-point range and the No. 3 offensive rebound rate (28.9 percent) in the NBA. 

On the opposite end, the Celtics are an above-average defensive team, yielding fewer than 1.12 points per possession for the season. They are stellar at preventing 2-point efficiency, with opponents shooting just 52.4 percent inside the arc, and the Celtics are above-average in turnover creation, forcing a giveaway on 14.2 percent of defensive possessions.

Why the Nets can cover

Harden, Durant and Irving each eclipsed the 20-point mark in Game 1, and all are capable of much more. Harden averaged 24.6 points, 10.9 assists and 8.5 rebounds per game in the regular season, with Durant and Irving each averaging 26.9 points with solid supporting statistics. With those three stars at the forefront, the Nets led the entire NBA in offensive rating, scoring more than 1.17 points per possession, and they showcased a bit of that upside when they pulled away in Game 1. 

The Celtics do have a strong defense, but Brooklyn leads the league in shooting efficiency, and the Nets are even better at full strength. Boston is also much easier to defend in the absence of Brown, and the Nets did a strong job of resisting against the Celtics' attack in the series opener.

How to make Celtics vs. Nets picks

SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 221 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Celtics vs. Nets? And which side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.