The Boston Celtics visit the Portland Trail Blazers in a battle of playoff contenders on Tuesday evening. Boston is on a three-game winning streak, improving to 28-26 on the season. Portland is just 2-4 in the last six games, though the Blazers are 31-22 overall in 2020-21. Zach Collins (ankle) is out for the Blazers, with Evan Fournier (protocols) out for the Celtics.
Tip-off is at 10 p.m. ET in Portland. William Hill Sportsbook lists Portland as a one-point home favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 228 in the latest Celtics vs. Blazers odds. Before making any Blazers vs. Celtics picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times, and it has returned over $9,100 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past two-plus seasons. The model is up over $1,100 on its top-rated picks this season, and dating back to last year, it entered Week 17 of the 2020-21 NBA schedule on a stunning 95-59 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Trail Blazers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Trail Blazers vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Blazers spread: Blazers -1
- Celtics vs. Blazers over-under: 228 points
- Celtics vs. Blazers money line: Blazers -115, Celtics -105
- BOS: The Celtics are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games
- PORT: The Blazers are 5-5 against the spread in the last 10 games
Featured Game | Portland Trail Blazers vs. Boston Celtics
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is above-average on the offensive end, scoring more than 1.11 points per possession. Portland also struggles mightily on defense, with the Blazers ranking second-to-last in the NBA in defensive efficiency (1.16 points allowed per possession) and 2-point shooting allowed (54.9 percent). Boston is dynamic on the offensive glass, grabbing 29.3 percent of its own missed shots, and the Celtics land above the NBA average in effective field goal percentage (54.3 percent) and true shooting percentage (57.5 percent).
The Celtics are also strong defensively, and Boston is allowing only 1.06 points per possession in the last 10 games. Boston is a top-eight team in fast-break points allowed (11.5 per game), points allowed in the paint (44.8 per game) and assists allowed (23.5 per game), with above-average marks in both steals (7.9 per game) and blocks (5.3 per game). Portland is strong on offense, but it is the NBA’s worst team in generating assists (20.3 per game), making the job of the defense a bit easier.
Why the Blazers can cover
Portland is led by a stellar offense, and the Blazers have an elite backcourt in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Lillard leads the team in averaging 28.7 points and 7.6 assists per game, with McCollum adding 23.5 points per game. As a team, the Blazers are scoring 115.9 points per 100 possessions for the season, and they are elite in several categories. Portland takes care of the ball at a fantastic level, committing a turnover on only 11.6 percent of possessions. The Blazers are also stellar in both making a lot of 3-pointers (16.0 per game) and maintaining tremendous accuracy, making 38.0 percent of their long-range attempts.
Portland is above-average on the offensive glass, and it can generate second-chance opportunities against Boston. While the Blazers are not terribly stout defensively, they can win the free throw battle against a Boston team that struggles to both generate free throws and prevent their opponents from taking them. Finally, the Celtics commit a turnover on 14.2 percent of possessions, which could fuel Portland in transition.
How to make Blazers vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 227 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time. You can get that pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Blazers vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 95-59 roll on NBA picks.