There's a heavyweight showdown on the horizon for the Boston Celtics vs. OKC Thunder on Sunday. The defending champion Celtics enter the game as the No. 2 team in the Eastern Conference, while the Thunder, atop the Western Conference, are on a 14-game winning streak.
Below is a detailed preview of Boston Celtics vs OKC Thunder, which is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 PM ET at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma.
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Boston Celtics vs OKC Thunder Prediction, sampling and probabilities
Money line: Celtics (+105) vs. Thunder (-130)
Spread: Celtics +2 (-110) vs. Thunder +2 (+110)
Total (S/U): Celtics o221.5 (-110) vs. Thunder u221.5 (-110)
Editor's note: Odds can change closer to the game. The possibilities mentioned were according to the information available at the time of writing this report.
Boston Celtics vs OKC Thunder Preview
This anticipated confrontation brings together two dominant forces from their respective conferences.
The Celtics (26-9) enter the contest on a three-game winning streak, including two emphatic victories — a 54-point win over the Toronto Raptors and a 23-point win over the Houston Rockets. They boast the second-best offense in the league, trailing only Cleveland Cavalierswho holds the highest scoring record in the NBA.
Additionally, Boston had the third-best net rating, behind the Thunder and Cavaliers, as the three teams were the only ones to maintain double-digit net ratings.
At the same time, thunder (29-5) They recently staged a win over the New York Knicks, overcoming a 14-point deficit to clinch a 117-107 win and extending their winning streak to 14 games — a franchise record.
OKC's success is due to the brilliance of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had 33 points and seven assists in their latest win. The Thunder lead the league in net rating (12.1), anchored by their top-rated defense (102.9 defensive rating), and remain undefeated against Eastern Conference opponents.
Boston Celtics vs OKC Thunder Expected starting lineup
For thunder, Alex Caruso (hip), Ajay Mitchell (toe), Chet Holmgren (hip), and Nikola Topic (ACL) are all out. Ousmane Dieng and Dillon Jones are out as they were assigned to the G League, while Branden Karlsson is a possibility, also on G League assignment.
For the Celtics, Jaylen Brown It is questionable due to a shoulder injury. JD Davidson, Drew Peterson, Baylor Schelerman and Anton Watson are all out of the G League.
thunder
g – Gilgeous Alexander Tea | g – Kayson Wallace | And – If you turn. | And – Jalen Williams | C – Isaiah Hartenstein
Celtics
g – Derek White | g – puppy holiday | And – Sam Hauser | And – Jayson Tatum | C – Kristaps Porzingis
Editor's note: These are projected lineups and can change based on player availability.
Ways to bet on Boston Celtics vs OKC Thunder
- Jayson Tatum who scores more than 25.5 points is -105 on DraftKings. We expect him to hit that mark.
- Isaiah Hartenstein's score over 11.5 points is -120 on FanDuel. Expect him to explain this.
Boston Celtics vs OKC Thunder prediction
This confrontation is expected to be a closely contested battle. While the Celtics may be without Jaylen Brown and the Thunder will be without key players Alex Caruso and rookie Ajay Mitchell, OKC's depth and home-field advantage could be crucial.
Expect the Thunder to pull out a narrow win, with Jalen Williams stepping up against Boston's defense. While the Celtics' defensive efforts may limit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams has the ability to take over and guide the Thunder to another exciting win.
Edited by John Ezekiel Hero
