NBA Celtics vs. Blazers Picks & Predictions for February 24, 2013
By ATSSportsline.com
PORTLAND, OR (ATS Consultants) – The Celtics picked up their first road win of the season against a Western Conference opponent on Friday when they beat the Suns. Can they make it two in a row when they visit the Blazers at 9:00PM ET tonight?
ODDS: Oddsmakers from online sports book Bovada.lv have installed the Blazers as 2 -point favorites versus the Celtics, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 192.5 points. Boston enters play with a 29-26 overall record while Portland is 25-30 on the year.
LINE MOVEMENT: The Blazers opened as 1-point favorites but the spread has been bet up to 2 or 2.5 at most sports books. As for the total, it opened at 191 but has been bet up to 192.5.
PUBLIC BETTING: Of the current wagers placed on tonight’s game, 63% of NBA public bettors currently favor the Celtics. This information is subject to change, however, so make sure you click on the link provided to get the most updated public betting numbers.
NBA FREE PICK: Take Boston. According to latest NBA trends, Boston is 7-0-1 ATS last 8 vs. Northwest Division, 6-2-1 ATS last 9 following an ATS win, 31-12 ATS last 43 Sunday games and 9-3 ATS last 12 overall. Portland is 3-12 ATS last 15 in series, 1-6 ATS last 7 at home in series, 0-4 ATS last 4 on 1 days rest, 1-5 ATS last 6 following a SU loss and 0-5-1 ATS last 6 Sunday games.
The Celtics (29-26 SU, 23-29-3 ATS, 27-27-1 O/U) have overcome serious injuries and age. On Friday night, they overcame the loss of Kevin Garnett, who took the night out to rest. Jeff Green came in relief and scored a season-high 31 points to lead the Celtics over Phoenix, 113-88 on the road. Portland (25-30 SU, 23-30-2 ATS, 29-25-1 O/U) has lost seven straight including a 111-107 defeat the Lakers on Friday, getting 9.5. The Trailblazers' main issue is their defense which allows 99.9 points per game and they allow teams to shoot 47 percent from the field. A fresher Garnett will help Boston, who despite losing Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger to season-ending injuries, is still one of the deepest teams in the league. Having Green coming off the bench along with Jason Terry and now Jordan Crawford (10 points against Suns) allows them to win games on the road against subpar teams. Green is averaging 22 points and shooting 69 percent over his last three games
2013 NBA FREE PICK: BOSTON CELTICS +2
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