David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
Boston Celtics vs Denver Nuggets: A possible NBA Finals preview
The Denver Nuggets are hosting the Boston Celtics on Thursday at Ball Arena.
The Celtics are the best team in the league
The Boston Celtics are on top of the Eastern Conference with the best record in the league of 48 wins and 13 losses. They were on an 11-game winning streak before losing 105-104 to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the last one, despite having a 20-plus point lead in the game. The Celtics are third in the league, averaging 121 points per game and making 16.3 three-pointers per game. Jayson Tatum leads the Celtics with 27.1 points per game, which puts him ninth in the league.
The Nuggets are going for the top seed in the West
The Denver Nuggets are third in the Western Conference with a 42-20 record. After winning six consecutive games, they lost 117-107 in overtime to the Phoenix Suns. The defending champions are fourth in the league, shooting 49.2% from the field, and second in assists-to-turnover ratio with 2.3. Nikola Jokic is the frontrunner in the MVP race, averaging 25.9 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game.
Betting Trends
Boston has won 6 of the last 8 games against Denver but the Nuggets have won 13 of the last 19 home games against the Celtics. Boston is 11-1 SU in the last 12 games and 8-1 SU in the last 9 games on the road. The Nuggets are 6-1 SU in their last 7 games overall and 7-2 SU in the last 9 games against teams from the Atlantic Division.
Prediction and Conclusion
These two teams have legit chances to reach the NBA Finals this season, which makes this game very interesting. The Nuggets beat the Celtics 102-100 in Boston earlier this season, which is one of only three home losses for the C’s. Both teams were on a long winning streak before losing their last games. The Nuggets are 24-6 at home for the season, and this is a chance for them to prove that they are still the team to beat in the NBA. Boston is having a fantastic season, but the Nuggets will be slightly better and win this one.
