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The Boston Celtics take on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon in Game 1 of a best-of-seven first round series. TD Garden hosts the festivities in Boston, and the Celtics are 28-13 at home this season. Boston is 51-31 overall, including a 3-1 mark against Brooklyn. The Nets are 44-38 overall and 24-17 on the road, and Brooklyn has won five consecutive games overall. Robert Williams (knee) is out for the Celtics. Ben Simmons (back) and Joe Harris (ankle) are out for the Nets. 

Tipoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET in Boston. Caesars Sportsbook lists Boston as the four-point home favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 226.5 in the latest Nets vs. Celtics odds. Before making any Celtics vs. Nets picks, be sure to see the NBA playoff 2022 predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters the 2022 NBA playoffs on a stunning 85-55 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning almost $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Nets vs. Celtics, and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Nets:

  • Nets vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -4
  • Nets vs. Celtics over-under: 226.5 points
  • Nets vs. Celtics money line: Celtics -180, Nets +155
  • BKN: The Nets are 2-7 against the spread in the last nine games
  • BOS: The Celtics are 10-3 against the spread in the last 13 games

Why the Nets can cover

The Nets are heavily reliant on two players, but both are elite scorers. Kevin Durant is perhaps the most dynamic scorer in the NBA, averaging 29.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game this season. Durant is hyper-efficient, shooting 51.8 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from 3-point range, and he is flanked by Kyrie Irving, who averages 27.4 points and 5.8 assists with 41.8 percent shooting from 3-point distance. 

The Nets are in the top 10 of the NBA in offensive efficiency overall, and Brooklyn is scoring a blistering 122.8 points per 100 possessions when Durant and Irving are deployed together. Brooklyn ranks in the top 10 of the NBA in assists, offensive rebound rate, second-chance points and fast break points, and the Nets convert shots at an impressive rate. Brooklyn finished No. 4 in the NBA in field goal percentage, converting more than 47 percent of attempts, and the Nets are in the top 10 in both 3-point accuracy (36.1 percent) and free throw accuracy (80.5 percent).

Why the Celtics can cover

Boston has a strongly above-average offense, including top 10 marks in overall efficiency, free throw accuracy, two-point accuracy, and 3-pointers per game. However, the Celtics are best known for an elite defense, and no team in the NBA allows fewer points per possession than Boston. The Celtics sit atop the league in giving up only 106.2 points per 100 possessions, and Boston leads across the board in contesting and altering shots. Boston is No. 1 in the NBA in field goal percentage allowed (43.4 percent), 3-point percentage allowed (33.9 percent), and two-point percentage (49.7 percent), illustrating overall dominance. 

The Celtics also lead the league in assist prevention, giving up only 21.6 dimes per game, and Boston is No. 2 in the league in blocked shots (5.8 per game) and points allowed in the paint (42.5 per game). The Celtics are in the top 10 in free throw prevention, second-chance points allowed, and fast break points allowed, and Boston has multiple high-end options to throw at Durant and Irving.

How to make Celtics vs. Nets picks

SportsLine's model is leaning over on the total, projecting 229 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Nets vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits well over 60 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.