The surprising Boston Celtics, sitting second in the Eastern Conference without Jayson Tatum, start the second half on a four-game road trip to the West Coast, beginning with a 2022 NBA Finals rematch against the Golden State Warriors tonight at 10 pm ET.

The Celtics closed the first half by winning six of seven, but the one defeat was a 22-point home loss to the New York Knicks. The Knicks sit just half a game behind Boston in the current standings. Conversely, Golden State sputtered into the break by losing seven of 11 games. Steph Curry is out, Jonathan Kuminga is with the Atlanta Hawks, and the Warriors are languishing in eighth place in the Western Conference. 

Celtics vs. Warriors NBA Betting Odds

The Celtics are 17-10 away from home this season. They won two straight and five of seven on the road ahead of the break and are 5-2 against the spread overall in their last seven games. The Warriors are 2-4 straight up and 1-5 against the spread in their last six games, and despite being 18-10 at Chase Center this season, are just 1-4 straight up and 0-5 ATS in their last five home games. Additionally, Golden State is an underdog tonight, and they’re just 6-10 as a dog this season.

The Celtics have played to the Under nine times in 10 games, and these teams have played to the Under in seven of their last nine meetings. 

Boston Celtics

Many pundits are still in shock at the Celtics’ 35-19 record. In addition to Tatum’s absence, veteran Al Horford left for Golden State while Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were shipped out in cost-cutting transactions. What was supposed to be a mulligan season now offers postseason possibilities, especially with whispers of Tatum’s possible return before the end of the season. 

Jaylen Brown (29.3 PPG, 6.9 REB, 4.7 AST) won’t win it, but he certainly deserves consideration for MVP with the season he has had so far, and Derrick White and Payton Pritchard have been willing lieutenants supporting him the entire way. This four-game West Coast road trip to start the second half is crucial.

Golden State Warriors

Every time you think the Warriors are dead, they rise and make a postseason run, but the franchise has not advanced past the Western Conference semifinals in the past three seasons. Jimmy Butler is out for the season, while Steph Curry has missed the past five games with a knee injury and has been ruled out of tonight’s contest. 

Porzingis, who came over from the Hawks in the Kuminga deal, could make his Warriors debut and face his former club this evening. 

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Celtics vs. Warriors?

Golden State’s top three scorers are either out or no longer on the team. Draymond Green can only get under an opponent’s skin so much if his team is trailing by 25. This West Coast swing is always a tricky stretch of the schedule for the Celtics, but they are poised to navigate this opener without much drama.

Look for Boston to put away the Warriors before the start of the fourth quarter and win going away, 122-105.

CELTICS

Away

122

WARRIORS

Home

105

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