The Boston Celtics will look to stay hot when they take on the visiting Phoenix Suns in an interconference matchup on Friday night at TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics (37-15), first in the Atlantic Division and in the Eastern Conference, have won two in a row and 11 of 14. The Suns (27-26), who are starting a five-game road trip to the East Coast, have won two of three and six of eight. Boston defeated the Suns 125-98 in the first meeting this season at Phoenix on Dec. 7.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Celtics are averaging 118.2 points per game this season, second-best in the league, while the Suns average 112.7, 21st-best. Boston is a 9-point favorite in the latest Suns vs. Celtics odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 220. Before making any Celtics vs. Suns picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 16 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 49-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Suns and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Suns vs. Celtics:
Suns vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -9Suns vs. Celtics over/under: 220 pointsSuns vs. Celtics money line: Suns +328, Celtics -430PHO: The Suns are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games following an ATS lossBOS: The Celtics are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight-up win of more than 10 pointsSuns vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns
Why the Celtics can cover
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown draw most of the headlines, but Boston has great depth. Point guard Malcolm Brogdon is a key component off the bench for Boston. He is third on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game, and is averaging 18.1 points over his past 10 games. In a 125-121 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, he scored 26 points and grabbed six rebounds in 39 minutes of action. Brogdon has reached double-digit scoring in 32 of the 44 games he has played, and is connecting on 45.1% of his 3-pointers.
Another offensive weapon for the Celtics is point guard Derrick White. He has scored in double digits in each of the last five games, including a 23-point and six-assist effort in a 98-95 loss at Miami on Jan. 24. He is coming off back-to-back 14-point performances in wins over the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. In 52 games, including 44 starts, White averages 10.4 points, 3.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds.
Why the Suns can cover
Despite that, Boston isn’t a lock to cover the Suns vs. Celtics spread. That’s because Phoenix has played well of late, winning six of eight. Center Deandre Ayton is a big reason for that. He has scored 20 or more points in four of the last five games, including a 24-point effort against Brooklyn in a 117-112 win on Jan. 19. Over the last 10 games, he is averaging 19.6 points and 11.4 rebounds. For the season, his numbers are slightly lower but still impressive, averaging 17.8 points, 10.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game.
Small forward Mikal Bridges has also picked up some of the scoring slack of late. He has reached 20 or more points in eight of the last 10 games. Bridges scored a season-high 31 points, grabbed nine rebounds, dished out five assists and made four steals in a 129-117 win at Minnesota on Nov. 9. For the season, he is averaging 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
How to make Suns vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 230 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Suns? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
