The Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Boston Celtics to Moda Center for a cross-conference battle late Tuesday evening. Portland is 31-22 overall and 16-11 in its home venue this season. Boston (28-26) has won three in a row, and this is the first matchup between the teams during the 2020-21 season. Evan Fournier (protocols) is out for Boston, with Zach Collins (ankle) out for Portland.
Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. ET. The latest Celtics vs. Blazers odds from William Hill Sportsbook list Portland as a one-point favorite. The over-under for total points is set at 229.5. Before finalizing any Blazers 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 it has returned over $9,100 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,100 on its top-rated picks this season, and dating back to last year, it entered Week 17 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 95-59 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Trail Blazers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Blazers spread: Blazers -1
- Celtics vs. Blazers over-under: 229.5 points
- Celtics vs. Blazers money line: Blazers -115, Celtics -105
- BOS: The Celtics are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games
- PORT: The Blazers are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston has a big edge on the wings in this matchup, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown performing at a high level. Tatum leads the team with 25.7 points per game, and he adds 7.1 rebounds per contest and high-end defense. Brown is dynamic offensively, maintaining strong efficiency on the way to 24.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. That duo helps the Celtics to be above-average on both ends of the floor, and Portland has a few dire weaknesses to exploit.
Offensively, the Blazers are potent, but Portland is just 28th in the NBA in 2-point shooting, making only 50.4 percent of its shots inside the 3-point arc. Portland also lands last in the NBA in assists, producing just 20.3 per game. On the defensive side, Portland ranks 29th in the NBA in overall efficiency, allowing 1.16 points per possession. The Blazers are also 29th in 2-point defense, with opponents converting 54.9 percent of their attempts.
Why the Blazers can cover
Portland is led by a stellar offense, and the Blazers have an elite backcourt in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Lillard leads the team in averaging 28.7 points and 7.6 assists per game, with McCollum adding 23.5 points per game. As a team, the Blazers are scoring 115.9 points per 100 possessions for the season, and they are elite in several categories. Portland takes care of the ball at a fantastic level, committing a turnover on only 11.6 percent of possessions. The Blazers are also stellar in both making a lot of 3-pointers (16.0 per game) and maintaining tremendous accuracy, making 38.0 percent of their long-range attempts.
Portland is above-average on the offensive glass, and it can generate second-chance opportunities against Boston. While the Blazers are not terribly stout defensively, they can win the free throw battle against a Boston team that struggles to both generate free throws and prevent their opponents from taking them. Finally, the Celtics commit a turnover on 14.2 percent of possessions, which could fuel Portland in transition.
How to make Blazers vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 225 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Blazers vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 95-59 roll on NBA picks.
