Celtics vs Nets Odds & Picks (Jan. 12)

• Boston is a 3.5-point favorite in the Celtics vs Nets odds on Thursday
• Kevin Durant will sit out after suffering a sprained MCL in his right knee on Sunday
• Keep reading for the latest Celtics vs Nets odds, plus injury news and best bets

Life without Kevin Durant begins for the Nets (27-13, 13-5 home) on Thursday when they host the NBA leading Celtics (29-12, 13-7 away). Unfortunately for Brooklyn, it’s a situation they’re all too familiar with.

Durant missed 27 games last year, and as we’ll detail the Nets were a mess without their best player. Oddsmakers are expecting Brooklyn to struggle against Boston, as they opened up the Celtics as the chalk in the NBA odds.

Celtics vs Nets Odds

Odds as of January 11 at Barstool. Claim the Barstool Sportsbook promo code to bet on the Celtics vs Nets game.

Boston are currently 3.5-point favorites, in a game without a total as of Wednesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, and will be game one of TNT’s nationwide doubleheader.

Brooklyn Nets Betting Trends

KD’s injury comes in the midst of an incredible Nets run. Brooklyn has won 14 of 15 games, and 18 of their last 20. Their fantastic play has vaulted them into the East’s second seed behind only Boston. They also boast the league’s second best record, and lead the entire NBA in net and offensive rating over the past 15 games.

Durant suffered the injury in the Nets victory over the Heat on Sunday, after Jimmy Butler crashed into him. KD was making a push for his second trophy in the NBA MVP odds, averaging 30 points per night, while shooting 56% from the field. He helped propel Brooklyn to the number one effective field goal percentage in the league on offensive, and the league’s top unit in opponent effective field goal percentage.

Nets fans seeing Kevin Durant get injured pic.twitter.com/nSZtivkefk

— Jac Manuell (@JacManuell) January 9, 2023

Brooklyn did manage to win the lone game Durant sat out this season, but wins were hard to come by without him last season. The Nets were 8-19 sans KD in 2021-2022, including a 5-18 mark during a 23-game stretch he sat out due to an MCL sprain.

Without their leader, Brooklyn is going to need to rely heavily on Kyrie Irving. The controversial guard enters play averaging 26 points per game, and is the lone Net aside from KD to average at least 12 points per outing. Throughout his career, Irving has averaged just 23 points against the Celtics in 22 games, failing to reach 20  points the last time they met.

Boston Celtics Betting Trends

That doesn’t bode well for potential Brooklyn backers, as the Celtics are starting to get hot again. Boston has reeled off three straight wins entering Wednesday night’s contest with New Orleans, following a mini-two game slide. They’re 7-2 in their last nine, ranking top-five in both offensive and defensive rating during that stretch.

The Celtics are a comfortable favorite in the NBA Championship odds, and feature two of the league’s top-12 scorers in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Tatum is averaging over 31 points per outing during Boston’s three-game winning streak, while Brown has reached at least 29 points in seven of his past nine contests.

No Celtics player has EVER averaged above 30 points per game in a season.

Halfway through the year, Jayson Tatum is averaging 30.8 PPG… 👀 pic.twitter.com/UTCeRtayoG

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) January 11, 2023

The Celtics lead the NBA in offensive rating for the entire season, an average an Eastern Conference best 118.5 points per night. After getting off to a slow defensive start, they’ve held two of their past three opponents under 100 points, including the Bulls on Tuesday.

On the injury front, both Marcus Smart (knee bruise) and Robert Williams III (injury management) sat out Wednesday’s contest with the Pelicans. Smart also missed Boston’s victory over Chicago on Monday, and is considered day-to-day.

Celtics vs Nets Predictions

10 of Brooklyn’s 18 losses last season when KD was out with an MCL sprain were by double-figures. They averaged less than 109 points in those contests, and will likely find themselves struggling to produce offense on Thursday with Durant absent.

On paper it should help that Boston is on the second half of a back-to-back, but fatigue hasn’t been an issue for the Celts this season. Boston is 6-0 in games coming off no rest, beating the spread in five of those contests. They’ve won 13 road games overall, the second most in the league, while no team has fewer losses away from home than the Celtics.

NBA Net Rating Ranks – Last 9 Games

Without KD, this is a serious mismatch and considering this game will be played on the national stage, expect Boston to make a statement on Thursday.

Pick: Boston Celtics -3.5 (-110)