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The Brooklyn Nets welcome the Boston Celtics to Barclays Center for an Eastern Conference showdown on Friday evening. Brooklyn has the rest advantage, with Boston knocking off the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. James Harden (hamstring), Kevin Durant (thigh) and Nicolas Claxton (protocols) are out for the Nets, with Tyler Johnson (knee) listed as doubtful. Jaylen Brown (shoulder) and Evan Fournier (protocols) will miss Friday's contest for Boston. 

Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET in Brooklyn. William Hill Sportsbook lists the Nets as 3.5-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 224.5 in the latest Celtics vs. Nets odds. Before you make 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 it has returned over $9,200 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,200 on its top-rated picks this season, and dating back to last year, it entered Week 18 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 96-60 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. Nets. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Nets vs. Celtics:

  • Celtics vs. Nets spread: Nets -3.5
  • Celtics vs. Nets over-under: 224.5 points
  • Celtics vs. Nets money line: Boston +145, Brooklyn -165
  • BOS: The Celtics are 15-18 against the spread in 2020-21 conference games
  • BKN: The Nets are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games

Why the Celtics can cover

Boston is a balanced, talented team that is well-coached and experienced. The Celtics are above-average offensively, scoring more than 1.13 points per possession this season, and this is a favorable matchup for Boston's offense. The Nets are just 24th in the NBA in defensive rating this season, and they are a bottom-five team in the league in turnover creation rate (12.7 percent). The Celtics are also an elite offensive rebounding team, securing 29.1 percent of their own missed shots, and the Nets are a below-average rebounding team on both ends of the floor. 

On defense, Boston has a difficult setup against a high-powered Nets offense, but the Celtics are above-average in both overall defensive efficiency and turnover creation. The Celtics could also benefit from Brooklyn's injury uncertainty and, after a torrid start, the Nets are just 5-5 in the last 10 games overall.

Why the Nets can cover

Brooklyn has an excellent overall profile this season, even while dealing with injury-related absences from top-tier players. The Nets are particularly impressive when playing at Barclays Center, out-scoring opponents by more than six points per 100 possessions and posting a 23-7 record. Much of that can be traced to an elite offense, with the No. 2 mark in offensive efficiency (117.2 points per 100 possessions) and league-leading marks in overall shooting efficiency and two-point accuracy (56.8 percent). 

Brooklyn is also effective in generating free throw attempts, and the charity stripe is an area of notable focus in this matchup. Boston ranks in the bottom 10 of the NBA in both preventing free throws defensively and creating free throws offensively. 

How to make Nets vs. Celtics 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 well over 50 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.

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