Celtics vs Trail Blazers Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Boston Suffers Northwest Letdown

The wins haven’t been coming in bunches, but the injury-riddled Trai Blazers have continued to play better basketball in the last few weeks. Now, they’ll play host to arguably the best team in basketball – one which has lost just 14 games.

Of the 14 games the Boston Celtics have dropped this season, 11 have come on the road. Are they in actual danger of dropping another here as double-digit favorites in the NBA odds with a laundry list of names on the injury report?

Let's get right into it with our in-depth preview and NBA picks for Celtics vs. Trail Blazers on Monday, March 11.

Celtics vs Trail Blazers odds

Celtics vs Trail Blazers predictions

While this doesn’t seem to be an overly captivating matchup on paper, the injuries mounting for the Boston Celtics here certainly make this a very interesting game to handicap. Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday, Jason Tatum and Derrick White are all listed as questionable for Monday’s tilt while Kristaps Porzingis will once again sit out.

On the other side of this one, the Portland Trail Blazers are still without Malcolm Brogdon on top of injuries to Shaedon Sharpe, Robert Williams, and Jabari Walker. Jerami Grant, who’s been dealing with a right hamstring strain, is once again questionable after missing the last two games.

Even without all of those names, and there have been a couple others added to the list in the last week or so, Portland has come up with the goods offensively. They’ve produced 115.4 points per 100 possessions over their last six games, a number only topped by 11 other teams over that span. It’s been a drastic and surprising turnaround for a team ranked among the worst offensive teams in the league, and even their defense has turned in a Top 10 ranking over that span though it’s had the benefit of playing the Grizzlies and Hornets for half of those contests.

It does seem the defensive production is fool’s gold here given most of this team’s defense in the last two weeks has come against the mid-range jumper, with the rim and 3-point lines remaining a liability. With that said, Portland has shot it at 39.5% from 3 during that time and has done an excellent job at scoring at the rim to boot.

Boston remains one of the best defenses in the NBA, but it’s been noticeably worse in the last three games as it turns over the lineup plenty due to injuries. Now, we’re looking at the possibility that the entire starting lineup sits in Portland.

I realize there are just as many injuries impacting the Trail Blazers, but they’ve proven to be a solid offensive group without those guys missing and can still claim to have 60% of their starting lineup healthy for this one.

With the way they’ve scored the ball and the way the Celtics have defended over the last week, I think this is too great a number to spot the Trail Blazers. When you bake in the potential absences for the Celtics, it’s time to grab a team that’s covered over 50% of the time as home underdogs this year and one that has covered in five of its last six.

My best bet: Trail Blazers +12 (-108 at FanDuel)

Celtics vs Trail Blazers same-game parlay

Trail Blazers +12

Anfernee Simons 20+ points

Deandre Ayton Over 16.5 points

+338 at FanDuel

It’s a little tricky to make a solid same-game parlay here with props on just three players being offered, but we can still use what we know to craft what I think should be a winning ticket.

The Celtics have been one of the stingiest teams against the 3 all season long, and while we noted they’ve dropped off a little in the last few games they’ve remained strong in that regard. Their rim defense has also been solid, though a bit depressed, and without Porzingis to protect the restricted area there should be some chances there as well as in the mid-range, where Boston’s been burned most.

So, I’ll take a look at two interior scorers in Anfernee Simons and Deandre Ayton who have taken the most shots on the team this season from the mid-range and in the paint. Simons has been on a roll with 20 or more points in five straight games, while Ayton has found it on the offensive side of the ball with 22 or more in three of his last four. The only time he didn’t go for at least 22 was in a loss to Miami where he picked up an injury and played just 18 minutes.

If you are going to back the Trail Blazers here, I think both of these guys will feature heavily on the offensive end. If Grant is indeed out again, that only makes me love these two totals even more. You could get cute and play Ayton for 20 or more here as well to increase the odds.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Celtics vs Trail Blazers spread and Over/Under analysis

The Celtics opened up as 11.5-point favorites and were bet all the way to 12.5 on Monday afternoon before settling back to 12 points at almost every shop. With 84% of the tickets and 84% of the handle on Boston to cover over at DraftKings, it’s no surprise that we haven’t seen any real movement towards Portland.

The total has also been a lopsided betting affair, opening at 217.5 points and rising steadily to 219, where it’s fluctuated between 219 and 219.5 in recent hours. Some of that is surely due to the Trail Blazers’ recent success on that end, though there also may be some speculation from big bettors that Boston won’t be quite as injured as the daily report would indicate.

With that, 72% of the bets and 79% of the handle has come in on the Over, which could very well rise to 220 or higher before tip-off.

Celtics vs Trail Blazers betting trend to know

The Portland Trail Blazers have hit the Team Total Over in 17 of their last 23 games (+10.00 Units / 38% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. Trail Blazers.

Celtics vs Trail Blazers game info

Celtics vs Trail Blazers latest injuries

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