NBA fans had high expectations when the Nets and Celtics tipped off their first-round series on April 17, with many dubbing it the most tantalizing No. 2 vs. No. 7 matchup in playoff history. Eight days later, Brooklyn is down 0-3 and on the brink of another painfully early playoff exit.
Can the Nets’ star-laden roster bounce back on Monday night, or will the Celtics move one step closer to capturing the franchise’s 18th title? Find out with our free NBA picks and predictions for the Celtics vs. Nets on April 25.
Celtics vs Nets odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
Brooklyn opened as a 2.5-point favorite on Saturday evening, but that line has since been bet down to 1.5 points at a multitude of sportsbooks as bettors have rushed to get in on the action. The total opened at 220.5 and has barely budged in the past two days.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Celtics vs Nets predictions
- Prediction: Celtics +1.5 (-110)
- Prediction: Under 220.5 (-105)
- Best bet: Brown Over 14.5 points (-125)
Predictions made on 4/25/2022 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Celtics vs Nets game info
• Location: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• Date: Monday, April 25, 2022
• Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
Celtics vs Nets series odds
Celtics: -3,000
Nets: +1200
Celtics vs Nets betting preview
Key injuries
Celtics: No injuries to report.
Nets: Ben Simmons PG (Out), Joe Harris SG (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as an underdog. Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Nets.
Celtics vs Nets picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Spread analysis
No team has been more consistently overvalued this season than the Nets, who entered this year as sizable +225 favorites to win the NBA Finals and were pegged with +275 odds to finish with the best record in the league. Brooklyn fell far short of the latter mark as it amassed just 44 wins and had to scrape and claw its way to the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.
Even now with their backs firmly against the wall, the Nets are still getting too much benefit of the doubt against a clearly superior team. How else can you explain the fact Brooklyn opened as a 2.5-point favorite despite trailing 0-3 and being thoroughly outplayed at home in Game 3? The Celtics’ smothering defense held Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to just 32 points combined in that showdown and forced Brooklyn into 21 turnovers.
It was a similar story in Game 2, as Boston limited Irving to just 10 points and thoroughly outmuscled the Nets in the paint en route to a convincing 114-107 win. The Celtics’ ability to stifle Brooklyn’s top scorers has provided an unbeatable blueprint for success.
There’s also the matter of health to consider. Stop us if you’ve heard this one before, but Ben Simmons’ season debut has been delayed yet again after the All-Star guard was ruled out of Game 4 with back soreness. It’s just the latest disappointment in a season full of them for the 25-year-old.
The Celtics, meanwhile, are back to full health following the Lazarus-like return of Robert Williams in Game 3. “Time Lord” didn’t have much of an impact in his first game since March 27, but his rebounding and shot deterrence are huge factors when he’s rust-free and fully engaged.
It took 85 games to reveal the truth, but it’s become increasingly apparent that the Nets simply aren’t as good as the public – and oddsmakers – initially thought. Expect them to be exposed once and for all on Monday evening.
Prediction: Celtics +1.5 (-110 at FanDuel)
Over/Under analysis
The Celtics were an NBA-best 17-5 after the All-Star break, and the reason is simple: Rock-solid, back-breaking, high-intensity, in-your-jock defense.
Boston boasted the third-best defensive rating in the league during that span while also ranking in the Top 5 in opponent points, opponent field goal percentage, opponent 3-point percentage, opponent rebounding, opponent points off turnovers, and opponent points in the paint. Simply put, the Celtics made other teams work for every single basket.
That same commitment to ball stopping has been evident against the Nets, as every game of this series has produced incrementally fewer points. That’s not a coincidence, as Boston has ratcheted up its intensity while Steve Nash has simultaneously failed to show any real adjustments or ingenuity with his play-calling.
No player has felt the wrath of Boston’s defensive tenacity more than Durant, who’s averaging just 22.0 points per game on a career postseason-low 36.5% percent shooting from the field. KD has said he’s overthinking things, but it’s much more than just that. The Celtics have made a commitment to making life miserable for the former MVP by denying him the ball on every possession and swarming him with multiple defenders on those rare occasions when he actually gets to touch the rock.
Players like Jayson Tatum have used their length to bother Durant on the perimeter, while newly-minted Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart has used his quickness and physicality to keep KD from ever getting comfortable. Together, they held Durant to 16 points on 11 shots in Game 3. It was the fewest points of any full playoff game he’s played since the 2017 Western Conference Finals.
Count on Game 4 going Under the projected total for the third straight time as the Celtics hound Durant and force other players to come up big
Prediction: Under 220.5 (-105 at betway)
Best bet
No player has benefitted more from the defensive attention garnered by Durant and Irving than Bruce Brown. The fourth-year guard is averaging 18.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game this series and is coming off a red-hot performance on Saturday in which he scored 26 points on 10 of 19 shooting from the floor and 2 of 7 from beyond the arc.
Expecting Brown to duplicate that showing in Game 4 is likely unrealistic, but topping 15 points is well within his reach. The 24-year-old grinder has gone Over that number in five of his last seven games and has seen his scoring average leap from just 4.5 points per game in January to 14.8 points per game in April as his role in Brooklyn’s offense has gradually increased.
No one will mistake Brown for a lights-out scorer, but he is an aggressive and highly opportunistic player who has shown an ability to take advantage of teams overloading on the Nets’ two superstars.
Pick: Bruce Brown Over 14.5 points (-125)
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