Game Time: 7:00 PM ET, Monday, April 25th, 2022 

Venue:   Barclays Center, Brooklyn, New York

Where to Watch: TNT

DraftKings:  Nets -2.5; O/U 220

Fanduel:  Nets -2; O/U 220

BetMGM:  Nets: -2.5; O/U 220.5

Celtics: 51-31, 2nd place Eastern Conference; 3-0 in the series

Nets: 44-38, 7th place Eastern Conference; 0-3 in the series.

An NBA Eastern Conference Playoff matchup that is exposing two great players as not enough and two less famous great players as ready for the moment.   The Boston Celtics are 3-0 in the series and they have gone 2-1 ATS.  They have won all the games but failed to cover a 4.5 spread in Game 1.  Since then they have covered a 3.5 spread at home and a 4 point spread in Brooklyn… and the spread SHRANK to 2.5.  The Thinking in Vegas is clear… Vegas believes that SF Kevin Durant and PG Kyrie Irving will not both have terrible games again as they did in Game 3 when they Celtics put the hurt on Brooklyn 109-103.  If you have been betting with this column you would be 3-0 ATS in this series.  I thought Brooklyn would win Game 1 and set the bet that way.  I was lucky that Brooklyn covered. Since then it has been all Boston all the way.  What gave me pause in Game 1 was that the Celtics are missing C Robert Williams III… Robert is kind of the key to the Celtics defense… What I didn’t realize is that the Celtics have not suffered on defense.  The group in Boston have come together and held the “team of destiny” that features Kyrie and Kevin to 114, 107, and 103.  The Celtics did such a good job in Game three that the Nets high-scorer was Bruce Brown… a 2018 6’4 2nd round pick that p[lays back-up point guard, but sometimes SG and sometimes SF. Bruce had 26 points while Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving had 16 points each.  That night if you held your ear up to a conch shell on the East Coast you could hear LeBroon laughing on the West Coast.  LeBron’s season may have flamed out… but the super team that is following his team-building model is not doing any better… It turns out that no player in the league is so great that they can jettison depth, teamwork, and hustle in favor of a couple of big scorers. The Celtics would have to lose 4 games in a row to lose this series… They won’t… but will they get the sweep?... Will they cover the spread in Game 4?... Let’s look at the numbers and then make some $$$.

The Boston Celtics are 3-0 in the series.  They are playing as a team and have not lost a step on defense while Robert Williams III is working his way back into the lineup. They would of course prefer Robert in the lineup full time… but Next Man Up is alive and well in Boston.  Robert played 15 minutes in Game 3 for 2 pts, 2 rbs, 1ast, and 1 BIG block!  Attaboy!  Robert got to watch from the bench as SF Jayson Tatum has become the next KD… seriously Jayson had 39 points 5 rbs, 6 asts, and 6 Big steals.  Everyone was worried about how the Celtics would stop Durant… but Tatum is younger and seemingly just as talented… who exactly is going to stop that?!!  SG Jaylen Brown put the icing on the cake with 23 points, 4 rbs, 5 asts, and 2 steals.  Jayson and Jaylen are a Celtics duo that has consistently outperformed the duo of Irving and Durant and they are lifted by a better team around them.  The egos have been left at the door in Boston and the winning has followed.

The Brooklyn Nets are 0-3 in the series.  They will be playing what could be their final game of the year at HOME… That does count for something.  It is not lost on the Barclays fans that the duo has cost Brooklyn 240 million so far… and have produced a first round playoff loss, a second round playoff loss, and now maybe a first round playoff loss.  The Big news this season was that SG James Harden was traded away to Philadelphia for PG/SF Ben Simmons… a healthy guy that refuses to play.  The Barclays crowd will start raining “boos” if the Celtics are up by 10 points as the 4th quarter draws to 5 minutes.  They also will start raining boos if Ben Simmons makes a surprising debut and goes 0-4 from the field. They also will start raining boos if PG Kyrie Irving looks as disinterested and spent as he did in Game 3.  Brooklyn isn’t built on a swamp like New Jersey is when the Nets played there… yet still, it smells funky.  Back-up Power Forward Nic Claxton has been a bright spot for the Nets… he was the Nets’ 2019 2nd round pick… the 6’11 kid plays with energy and enthusiasm… kind of like Jarrett Allen was a few years ago… He will be long gone this offseason. He will be a restricted free agent this offseason and the Nets simply can not afford the cap hit of matching his contract offers and then doubling that amount in luxury taxes.  Insiders tell me Houston, Portland, OKC, and Charlotte have been looking hard at whether or not he can play Center/Power-Forward full-time.  

Jack Banks is 26-10  in the last 60 days of NBA action!  Including a 6-1 mark in the last 7 days of NBA Playoff action!  Get Jack Banks’ picks right now!  Make winning your part-time job! Stay with us all throughout the NBA Playoffs and let’s grow that bankroll! You can discover the best  picks right now at the Shop Picks page, where you can find all of the Best Bets from our champion sports handicappers. NCAAF, NFL, MLB, college football… get positive value from all your bets! Expert picks!  Fun fact… winning a wager is much better than making a wager!

Boston is 54-31 on the season, but 47-37-1 ATS.  They have logged 41 Overs, 42 Unders, and 2 Push.  They are 24-18 in road games.

Brooklyn is 45-41 on the season, but 34-49-2 ATS.  They have been disappointing gamblers all year.  They have notched 41 Overs, 43 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 21-22 in home games.

Boston is 12th in scoring with 111.8 ppg, 5th in rebounds with 46.1 per game, and 11th in AST/TO ratio with 1,8, On defense they rank FIRST while holding opponents to 104.5 ppg… as they did in the last 2 wins and wins ATS this series.

Brooklyn is 9th in scoring with 112.9, 13th in rebounds with 44.4 per game, and 13th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8.  On defense they rank 18th while allowing 112.1 ppg from opponents

 

Our prediction for Monday, April 25th is….. Celtics 110 - Nets 104

The Celtics will get their sweep.  Kyrie and KD will force action early out of pride and desperation… but the writing is on the wall.  Tatum and Brown will put up solid games to counter Kyrie and KD… while the rest of the roster will grind the unprepared,  poorly constructed Nets to the dustbin of 2022 history.

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Brooklyn is 6-3 ATS versus Boston at Brooklyn the last 3 seasons.

Boston is 18-7 ATS when the Total is set greater or equal to 220.

5 of 9 games in this series (at Brooklyn) have gone UNDER.

Boston: No injuries to report; but Robert Williams will only be used as needed.

Nets: SG Ben Simmons (back) Quest ** 

Boston: SF Jayson Tatum, PF Al Horford, C Daniel Theis, SG Jaylen Brown, PG Marcus Smart

Nets: SF Bruce Brown, PF Kevin Durant, C Andre Drummond, PG Kyrie Irving, SG Seth Curry

Celtics: Ime Udoka

Nets: Steve Nash