Game Time: 7:30 PM ET, Monday, November 22nd, 2021 

Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts

Where to Watch: NBA League Pass, local cable 

DraftKings:  Spread: NA

BetMGM:  Spread: NA

VegasInsider:  Spread:  Celtics -5.5; O/U 222.5 

Rockets: 1-15, 15th place Western Conference, Worst team in the NBA.

Celtics: 9-8, 7th place, Eastern Conference

The Rockets are on a 15-game losing streak.  They have lost 15 STRAIGHT games!!  They are the worst team in basketball.  The management of the Rockets are smiling everyday.  This is all by design.  When James Harden (their key player) and Dwight Howard didn’t work… the Rockets began horse trading year after year to try and find a roster that would work.  They brought in Chris Paul in a big trade for players and picks with the Clippers… and it didn’t work… They brought in Russell Westbrook in another big trade, this time sending Chris Paul out plus some picks.. It really didn’t work.  The Rockets entered last season with a cupboard completely empty of draft assets and a star in James Harden that was willing to hold out if he couldn’t be traded away to a destination of his choice.  So, Houston did all they could do… they turned in to the skid.  They traded Russell Westbrook for bad contracts and picks to the Wizards and they traded James Harden to the Nets for a variety of lesser players and picks.  They now have a cupboard reloaded with draft assets and money enough to sign free agents in two seasons when John Wall’s money comes off the books.  It has gotten so bad the John Wall isn’t with the team at all even though he is receiving $42 million this NBA season and $44 million next NBA season.  In the meantime their only job is to lose and lose big.  They want to draft in the top 3 (preferably #1 overall) for two more seasons.  How there are any fans at all at Rockets games is a mystery.

The Boston Celtics are in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.  For several years now the Celtics have been threats to go deep into the playoffs if not challenge for an NBA title.  NBA predictions have given up on the Celtics this year.  They don’t seem to be in the same class as the Brooklyn Nets, the Philadelphia 76ers, the Milwaukee Bucks when it comes to great players… and then they are being jumped by the New York Knicks, the Washington Wizards, the Chicago Bulls, and the Charlotte Hornet in the area of exciting young squads.  The last ten years of Celtics basketball has been a stubbed toe of wasted draft capital, wasted star potential and musical chairs at point guard.  Their top guys are still Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown… with a nod to Marcus Smart as a quality bench player… It’s been that for years now without any real improvement.

 

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The Rockets are 1-15 on the season, but 6-9-1 ATS.  They are starting to get bigger than average, very tempting points spreads and naturally they are going to hit on a few spreads.  They have logged 5 Overs and 11 Unders.  They are a rotten 0-10 in road games.

The Celtics are 9-8 on the season, but 10-7 ATS.  They have notched 7 Overs, 9 Unders, and 1 Push.  They are 4-3 in home games.

This Rockets team is ranked 30th, dead last, in offensive efficiency.  They are 28th in points scored, 28th in 3-point FG%, 29th in assists, and 30th in turnovers.  They are bad in every category except free throw attempts.  In free throw attempts they are #1, this is because a collection of rookie and deep bench talent will naturally force all their shots regardless if it is the right shot to take.  The ensuing melee makes for an ugly matchup of bad shooting and opponents getting most of the rebounds.

The Celtics are ranked 16th in offensive efficiency.  They are 13th in points scored, 19th in FG%, 24th in 3-point FG%, 11th in offensive rebounds.  They are a middle of the pack team, no question about it.

Our prediction for Monday, November 22nd is…. Celtics 114 - Rockets 98

Celtics vs Rockets used to be a great game just for entertainment purposes… a testament to how the NBA has changed in just a year or two… I’m now more likely to watch Wizards vs Hornets.  

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Houston is 15-9 ATS versus Boston at Boston since 1996.

Boston is 3-2 ATS versus Houston over the last 3 seasons.

Both of the games in this series played at Boston have gone Under the total over the last 3 seasons.

Rockets: PG Kevin Porter JR Day to Day **  PG Jock Landale Out

Celtics: SG Jaylen Brown Out ** C Robert Williams III Out

Rockets: PG D.J. Augustin, SG Jalen Green, SF Jae’Sean Tate, PF Daniel Theis, C Christian Wood

Celtics: PG Marcus Smart, SG Josh Richardson, SF Jayson Tatum, PF Grant Williams, C Al Horford

Rockets

Celtics: SG Jalen Brown Out

Points: Christian Wood 16.2

Rebounds: Christian Wood 11.2

Assists: Kevin Porter JR 5.1

Steals: Kevin Porter JR 1.3

Blocks: Christian Wood 0.8

Celtics

Points: Jayson Tatum 25.5

Rebounds: Robert Williams 9.2

Assists: Marcus Smart 5.4

Steals: Marcus Smart 2.4

Blocks Al Horford 2.0

Rockets:  Stephen Silas.  Coach Silas is between a rock and a hard place.  He has a tanking team in his control.  NBA HEAD COACH is a great job, but what always happens with a tanking team is they dump the guy who babysat the awful roster just as they get good a few years later.  Hopefully Stephen can take the drubbing with class and hold his head up high.  Go get em’ coach!

Celtics: Ime Udoka.  Coach Udoka is a young man with a quality resume.  He belongs in an NBA head coaching seat.  He is saddled with a Celtics roster that has proven it doesn’t have enough and their best laid plans seem to always go awry.  They still have plenty of quality.  Hopefully Coach can wring a bit more effort and teamwork out of the squad… and get a little help from the front office in the form of a mid-season trade.