Ricky Dimon
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It will be a potential preview of the Eastern Conference Finals when the Boston Celtics entertain the Brooklyn Nets on Christmas Day. Of course, there is a long way to go before we can start thinking about a potential playoff series—both in terms of actual time and how good these two teams become. Early (very early) returns are encouraging, but there appears to be a whole lot of parity in the East this season. Whatever the case, it’s so far so good for the Celtics and Nets. They are coming off respective opening wins over Milwaukee and Golden State.
Only one will improve to 2-0 when the two powerhouses collide in what is arguably the marquee matchup on an entirely popcorn-worthy slate of Christmas contests. Let’s take a look at our same game parlay for this showdown, and be sure to check out our full preview of the game for picks on the side and total.
Nets -4.5 alternate spread (+118)
Kevin Durant Over 25.5 points (-112)
Caris LeVert Over 1.5 made three-pointers (-104)
Marcus Smart Over 5.5 assists (+118)
Parlay odds: +1493
We feel good about the Nets chances on Friday, and their success would naturally correlate with impressive performances by Durant and LeVert. Meanwhile, the value of a same game parlay is driven up when plays aren’t correlated. That would be the case if Boston guard Marcus Smart posts big numbers. It goes without saying, though, that Brooklyn still has a great shot at handling its business even if Smart dishes out more than a few assists.
Nets -4.5 alternate spread (+118)
The Celtics were good in their opener, but the Nets were great. Durant and company dominated the Warriors from start to finish on Tuesday en route to a 125-99 victory. Three different Brooklyn teammates reached the 20-point mark: Durant (22), LeVert (20), and Kyrie Irving (26). These two teams recently met in Boston in their final preseason game and it resulted in a 24-point beatdown in the Nets’ favor; they even led by as many as 36 points. While there probably won’t be that same kind of margin in a meaningful game, we still think Brooklyn can win comfortably here. The Celtics were lucky to hold on against the Bucks, as Tatum banked in a three-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining to avoid the completion of a fourth-quarter collapse and survived 122-121.
Kevin Durant Over 25.5 points (-112)
Durant scored “only” 22 points on Tuesday, but keep in mind that he logged just 25 minutes of playing time in a contest that was virtually over prior to the end of the third quarter. The 32-year-old figures to play a lot more in this one, as the Celtics should be at least somewhat competitive even though we don’t see them coming particularly close to winning. Durant forked up 16 shots in those 25 minutes (seven from three-point range) and attempted seven free-throws (made all seven). It really won’t require that big of an effort for him to exceeded this points quota.
Caris LeVert Over 1.5 made three-pointers (-104)
LeVert successfully dialed long distance three times on five attempts against Golden State. He took 17 shots in total—yes, even more than Durant and Irving. Even though the Nets are loaded and LeVert is coming off the bench, he stands to continue getting plenty of playing time. When Durant and Irving were absent last season, the former Michigan star was outstanding and helped his depleted squad at least make the playoffs. LeVert sank a career-high 36.4 percent of his treys in 2020-21.
Marcus Smart Over 5.5 assists (+118)
With Kemba Walker out for another month, Smart is running the backcourt show in Boston along with Jaylen Brown. Smart saw 38 minutes of court time on Wednesday, tied for the team lead with Brown. In other words, the former Oklahoma State standout is going to have a lot of opportunities to rack up statistics. He did next to nothing in the way of point production against Golden State, but he recorded seven assists. If Brown and Jayson Tatum keep scoring like they did in the opener, Smart’s assists numbers will continue to impress.
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