NBA Play-In: Washington Wizards vs Boston Celtics Preview, Odds, Prediction

The Boston Celtics host the Washington Wizards at TD Garden in their play-in clash. Brad Stevens’ boys haven’t played well in the recent few weeks. Many factors caused the Cs to drop all the way to No.7 in the East even though they stood as one of the favorites for winning the conference before the campaign started. The Wizards’ form sky-rocketed over the past two months. They are among the best units in the league because of Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. These two, especially Brody, have been marvelous.

Preview

Washington Wizards (+115) have two wins in a row, the last one against the Charlotte Hornets, 115-110. This game decided the No.8 in the conference, as both sides had a chance to reach that spot.

Westbrook sealed his fantastic finish of the season with a triple-double, scoring 23 points, grabbing 15 boards, and assisting 10 times. For Brody, this was TD no.38 in the 2021 season, and in the meantime, he became the all-time leader in this category, eclipsing Oscar Robertson. 

Bradley Beal had 25 points, with not such a great shooting percentage 8/27, while Robin Lopez added 18 buckets off the bench, shooting 9/11. His contribution tonight might be of great importance, and the veteran center has to give 100%.

Boston Celtics (-135) are massacred with injuries at the moment. Tatum, Walker, Thompson, all have minor injuries that prevent them from giving 100% of their capabilities. When we add the Fournier also had a break due to COVID-19 and that Jaylen Brown finished its season, it’s no wonder why Stevens’ crew has just one win in the previous five matches. 

They defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road, and after that, met with the Knicks in the Big Apple, losing that match, 96-92. Though, we need to say that the Cs played with the second unit and bench players. All the big names sat out due to injuries and the risk of aggravating the same.

Boston plays at home tonight, but we need to tell you that they lost the previous three events at TD Garden, against the Trail Blazers and twice against the Miami Heat. 

Head to Head Games

The Wizards and the Celtics played three times this year, and the current score is 2-1 for the team from Boston. Boston won the first game at home, 116-107, on January 9. Then, midway through February, the Wizards got even winning in DC, 104-91. The last event was on March 1, with the Celtics squeezing out a narrow triumph at home, 111-110. This one was a real thriller.

Prediction

Both sides are pretty one-dimensional in the attack. They don’t have some skilled big guys under the rim who can create damage from inside the paint, which is why they rely upon the backcourt very much. Boston has Tatum, Walker, and Fournier, while on the other side, we have Beal, Westbrook, and Bertans. This is why we expect to see a high-intensity battle here, with lots of possessions and short attacks. The limit for the total number of points is set at 232.5 points, which is ok for betting on Over. Feel free to try it.