Filip Tomic
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Friday brings 8 more NBA games, and we have a showdown at TD Garden as the Boston Celtics host the Denver Nuggets in what is arguably the biggest game of the night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm ET, you can watch the game live on NBA TV.
I’ve also prepared a Same Game Parlay which you can find below. Don’t forget to also check our NBA Predictions page for picks on the side and total on all 8-game being played tonight.
Let’s jump into the Nuggets vs Celtics matchup now.
Under 225.5 Alternate Total (+152)
Nikola Jokic to Record 8+ Assists (-158)
Marcus Smart Over 3.5 Rebounds (-115)
Parlay odds: +694
Under 225.5 Alternate Total (+152)
These two teams are off to hot starts offensively, but make no mistake about it, they are still among the most talented teams when it comes to defending the basketball. Last season, Boston had the best defensive rating, their numbers have been off because of the absence of Robert Williams, but as the season has progressed, I’ve seen some improvements on that end. Denver was also a top 15 defensive team last season, while also ranking 20th in pace. I’m expecting both teams to revert back to the style they played last season, at the end of the day defense will decide the outcome of this game. Only once in the last 9 meetings these two teams have gone over 225.5 points, I’m expecting a defensive showdown here, so we are better off backing the under.
Check out Friday’s NBA Mega Parlay at +993 odds!
Nikola Jokic to Record 8+ Assists (-158)
Jokic has struggled heavily shooting the ball in this matchup, connecting on under 40% of his shots over the last 3 meetings. The 2-time MVP is smart enough to do other things when his shot isn’t going and I’m expecting him to do just that. Jokic is no stranger to dishing the ball to his teammates, his assist numbers are through the roof this season – he ranks 5th in the NBA averaging 9 per game, which is an improvement of 1.1 compared to last season and a career high. Over his last 4 games he’s successfully gotten to 8 assists three times, while for the month of October he averaged 8.4 per game. It all starts through him on offense for Denver, so I’m expecting to get his teammates involved here.
Marcus Smart Over 3.5 Rebounds (-115)
With no Malcolm Brogdon for the Celtics in this game, Smart’s time on the court should increase a bit. He has upped his rebounding from 3.2 per game in October to 3.8 per game in November and he just recently had 7 rebounds in the win at Memphis. The only reason he recorded just 3 against Detroit in his last game is because he played just 23 minutes. In head-to-head meetings with the Nuggets, he’s recorded at least 4 rebounds in 4 of the last 6 games. Denver does give up more rebounds on the road than at home, and I think he has the advantage over his match-up Jamal Murray who is still looking for consistence after returning from injury this season. If the Celtics do a good job at contesting the Nuggets shots, Smart should get the 4 rebounds with ease here.
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