Nets vs Celtics Odds, Lines and Spread

• The Brooklyn Nets pay the Boston Celtics a visit on Christmas Day in the second game of the season for each team
• The Nets blew out the Warriors in their first game while the Celtics upset the Milwaukee Bucks
• See the odds, spread, analysis, and best bet, below

We’ve got a fantastic Christmas Day matchup at the TD Garden in Boston with the Nets and Celtics tipping off at 5:00 PM EST.

The two teams split the series last season, but the Nets now have a fully healthy Kevin Durant at their disposal. He looked to be in midseason form in the opener against his former team the Golden State Warriors.

The latest Nets vs Celtics odds have the Nets favored by 2.5 points.

Brooklyn Nets vs Boston Celtics Odds

Odds as of December 24th at FanDuel.

Brooklyn Is a Problem In The East

The Brooklyn Nets looked like an absolute wagon on opening night destroying the Golden State Warriors 125-99. Kevin Durant looked as good as ever in his first game back since rupturing his Achilles tendon in Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

His services were only needed for 25 minutes, but it was plenty of time for him to show out. He stuffed the stat sheet scoring 22 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one block. He was anyone’s idea of a top-flight NBA Superstar.

NBA Twitter in awe as Kevin Durant opens with 10 points in 5 minutes in first game backhttps://t.co/QcBKp7abOE

— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) December 23, 2020

While Kevin Durant was fantastic, the real story may have been how good Kyrie Irving looked after his long layoff. He only played 20 games last season due to shoulder issues, but he sure didn’t look like it. Irving finished the game with 26 points in 25 minutes but could have easily gone over 40 had the game not gotten out of hand. He was on fire from the field going 10-16, including the deepest of deep three-pointers right at end of the first half.

The Nets were far from a two-man show as bubble-star Caris LeVert came off the bench with a 20 point, nine rebounds, five assists, two steals, and one block performance. Joe Harris looked to be in good form as well going for nine points and seven rebounds. The Nets seem to be loaded with scorers as 14 different players put the ball in the basket in this game.

Boston Is a Contender

The Boston Celtics needed a Jayson Tatum bank shot three-pointer with a second left to beat the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday Night. Boston entered the fourth quarter with a 17 point lead, but the Bucks chipped away until the lead was gone with under 10 seconds left in the game. Tatum got the ball at the top of the key with 8.9 seconds remaining, dribbled the clock down to a second, and launched a prayer right in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s face.

https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1341940563164205057?s=20

The Bucks actually had a chance to tie the game on an Antetokounmpo free throw in the final second of the game, but the reigning MVP bounced it off the front of the rim. Tatum finished the game with 30 points and seven rebounds. Boston also saw Jaylen Brown put on a show with 33 points, five rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block.

Best Betting Angle

The Celtics opened as 1.0-point favorites, but the Nets were quickly bet all the way to -2.5 and counting. While the Celtics looked like favorites in the Eastern Conference at times in their first game, the Nets seemed to be on a mission in theirs. Revenge could have played a factor as Brooklyn did play Kevin Durant’s former team but the same is happening in this game with the sage spraying Kyrie Irving.

This game will come down to defending, and the Celtics will have a hard time with Durant, Irving, and LeVert. Kemba Walker seems to be a long way from returning, so Boston will be stuck relying on a two-man scoring punch consisting of Brown and Tatum. Christmas Day games are generally ones where the stars shine given they are stand alone, nationally televised contests. The nation will learn quickly that the Brooklyn Nets are for real. Lay the points.

Pick: Brooklyn Nets -2.5 (-110)