Celtics vs. Suns Prediction: NBA Odds, Point Spread
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Andrew Rogers
Jayson Tatum was the difference-maker for the short-handed Boston Celtics in a statement win over the Los Angeles Clippers – and he’ll need to be great again as the Celtics tangle with host Phoenix on Sunday afternoon. Tatum erupted for 34 points, seven rebounds and four steals to lead Boston past the Clippers 119-115 – and with Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart both out yet again, Tatum will be the focal point for a Suns team that rolled past Detroit last time out.
NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis
The Celtics enter a rare Sunday afternoon Western Conference tilt as 3-point underdogs to win on the NBA odds – and receiving points has agreed with them in recent months, as they’re 9-4 against the spread in their last 13 games as ‘dogs. But Boston has covered just one of its last nine games against Phoenix, and the Suns are on a 4-1 ATS over their past five. A slight 60 percent majority of Sports Interaction bettors are siding with the visiting Celtics.
The total is installed at 217.5, marking the 10th time in the last 11 games the Suns have seen a number lower than 220. Phoenix has converted the Under in four of its previous six games, with three of those games producing fewer than 210 combined points. Boston is also 4-2 to the Under in its last six outings, but has cashed the Over in four of its last five games as an underdog (including last time out in the win over the Clippers).
Boston Celtics
The absences of Brown and Smart leave a massive void in the Celtics’ offence, but you wouldn’t have known it from the way they performed against the Clippers. Boston shot better than 42 percent from 3-point range while making 17 of its 21 free throws; repeating that success will be critical against a Suns team that plays at one of the slowest paces in the NBA. At the centre of it is Tatum, who is averaging a red-hot 29.3 points in three February games.
Phoenix Suns
Chris Paul’s first season in Phoenix has produced mixed results so far. While Paul has seen his scoring average (16.4) dip by more than a point over last year’s number (and two full points below his career mark), he’s back to being an elite distributor at 8.5 assists per game. That’s his highest average since the 2016-17 season, his last with the Clippers. And the scoring has picked up this month, with Paul averaging 21.3 points so far in February.
BOS
PHO