Suns vs Celtics Predictions & Odds (Feb. 3)
- Boston is laying 10 points to Phoenix in the Suns vs Celtics odds on Friday
- Devin Booker (groin) and Marcus Smart (ankle) headline the list of players who’ll sit
- Check out the latest Suns vs Celtics odds below, plus injury updates and a betting prediction
Two teams coming off very different results clash on Friday night in Boston. The hometown Celtics (37-15, 20-6 home) enter play with the NBA’s best record, and are fresh off a 139-96 victory over the Nets.
The Suns (27-26, 8-17 away) on the other hand, boasted the league’s best record last year, but 2022-23 has been a different story. They’re just one game over .500 and were blasted 132-100 by the Hawks last time out.
Online sportsbooks expect another lopsided Phoenix defeat versus Boston. The Celtics opened up as the heavy chalk in the NBA odds, laying double-digits on their home court.
Suns vs Celtics Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Suns | +10 (-110) | +400 | OFF |
| Boston Celtics | -10 (-110) | -500 | OFF |
Odds as of February 2nd at DraftKings Sportsbook. Get the DraftKings Sportsbook bonus code to bet on the Suns vs Celtics game.
Boston is currently favored by 10 points, in a game without a total as of Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 pm ET at TD Garden in Boston, MA, with NBA TV providing the broadcast coverage.
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Boston Celtics Betting Trends
The Celtics, the frontrunner in the NBA Championship odds, have won back-to-back games after previously dropping three straight. Wednesday’s performance was their first dominant effort in over two weeks, as they’d been having trouble separating from opponents.
The team shot 58% from the field and 48% from three, building a lead as large as 49 points before cruising to victory. Jayson Tatum lead the way with 31 points and 9 boards, while Jaylen Brown splashed 26 points. The duo enter play each ranked inside the top-15 in scoring, one of only two sets of teammates who can say that.
NBA Net Rating Ranks
| Team | Rank |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 1 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 2 |
| Denver Nuggets | 3 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 4 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 5 |
Boston is the NBA’s second highest scoring team, and ranks third in offensive rating. They’re not just a one-trick pony though. The Celtics also rank fourth in defensive rating. They’re they only team to rank inside the top-six in both offensive and defensive rating, which explains why they lead the league in Net Rating.
They completely neutralized Brooklyn in their last outing, holding them to 40% from the field. That alone is impressive, but what’s even more impressive is that they accomplished the feat without Marcus Smart. The reigning DPOY missed the contest with an ankle injury and is out indefinitely.
Phoenix Suns Betting Trends
Speaking of injuries, the Suns are dealing with a few key ones at the moment. The most significant is the groin injury of Devin Booker, who’s been out since Christmas. Booker is reportedly ramping up his on court activity, and could be ready to return soon.
Phoenix is 9-15 without him this season, and 8-11 since he suffered the injury on December 25. The Suns will also be missing Cameron Payne (foot) and Landry Shamet (foot) on Friday, as they’re both out indefinitely.
At 41.3%, CP3 is currently shooting the best 3P% of his career! 👌@RUFFLES | #WeAreTheValley pic.twitter.com/K7dHR6LGO8
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 31, 2023
Phoenix had actually been playing very well prior to its blowout loss to Atlanta, winning six of seven. Chris Paul had been a major reason for the Suns success, averaging 21.6 points, 10.4 assists and 5.6 boards over his previous five outings. Paul however, was invisible against the Hawks managing only 3 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds in the loss.
Suns vs Celtics Predictions
Paul should be in a position to succeed on Friday with Smart stuck on the sidelines. Boston is typically an imposing matchup for enemy point guards and Smart is the main reason why.
Prior to Wednesday, the Suns were averaging 115 points per game over their last seven contests, while surrendering only 107 points per outing. Phoenix backers should feel confident that they can hang with the Celtics, especially considering they took down the Grizzlies and went toe-to-toe with the Mavericks during that stretch.
SUNS WIN!
SUNS WIN! pic.twitter.com/EiKHprfLKX— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 31, 2023
As good as Boston looked on Wednesday, it’s important to remember the Nets were without Kevin Durant. The Celtics have had issues covering spreads lately, beating the number only once in their past seven games. They’ve lost outright in three of those contests, and barely squeaked by inferior opponents like the Lakers and Raptors.
10 points is simply too many to lay with Boston at this point, especially without the services of their best defender. Play the Suns.
Pick: Phoenix Suns +10 (-110)
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As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
