Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA – Photo by Icon Sport
Boston Celtics vs Portland Trail Blazers: Does the home team stand any chance in this one?
The Boston Celtics are visiting the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at Moda Center.
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 49 wins and 14 losses. After losing back-to-back games to Cleveland and Denver, the Celtics won 117-107 in Phoenix. Boston is fourth in the league, scoring 120.7 points per game, and the team that makes the most here-pointers per game (16.2). Jayson Tatum leads the team with 26.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
The Blazers are in a tanking mode
The Portland Trail Blazers are 14th in the Western Conference with an 18-45 record. After losing three consecutive games, the Blazers won 128-118 in overtime against the Toronto Raptors. They are in the bottom three teams in the league with 108.1 points per game, 44.1% shooting from the field, and 23 assists per game. Anfernee Simons leads the Blazers with 22.9 points per game.
Betting Trends
Boston is 4-2 ATS in the last 6 games against Portland. The Celtics are 7-2 ATS in the last 9 games overall, 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games against teams from the Western Conference and 1-7 ATS in the last 8 games against teams from the Northwest Division. The Blazers are 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games overall, 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games played in March and 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games played on Monday.
Prediction and Conclusion
The Boston Celtics are the best team in the league, but they faced a couple of challenges on their road trip. After winning 11 straight games, they lost two in a row, but that will just light the fire even more. The Celtics are in the top 5 in the league in every major category on both ends of the floor and will prove that once again in Portland. The Blazers are in a rebuilding process with no chances to reach the playoffs. They will definitely try to compete tonight, but Boston will easily cover the -7.5-point spread.
