The Brooklyn Nets head to TD Garden in Boston on Friday night to take on the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference First Round. Steve Nash’s boys have a lead after a couple of comfortable wins on the home court, and the Nets are top favorites to win the championship with their odds at +175 at the moment.  

According to William Hill Sportsbook, the Nets are 7-point road favorites to win Friday’s game at TD Garden, while the Celtics are +250 moneyline dogs with a total of 228.0 points. These two Atlantic Division foes played a three-game series this past regular season, and the Nets swept the Celtics while covering on all three occasions. 

Brooklyn is riding a seven-game winning streak 

After a 104-93 victory in the opener, the Brooklyn Nets thrashed off the Celtics in Game 2 as 9-point favorites, 130-108. They pulled off midway through the first quarter and never looked back, leading by as many as 33 points. 

The Nets shot only 41.7% from the field and 23.5% from downtown in Game 1 and still outlasted the Celtics. Brooklyn made 52.3% of its field goals and 44.7% of its 3-pointers in Game 2, so the Celtics didn’t stand a chance. 

Kevin Durant had 26 points last Tuesday to go with eight rebounds, five assists, and four blocks. James Harden notched 20 points and seven dimes in just 27 minutes on the floor, while Kyrie Irving finished Game 2 with 15 points and six assists. Jeff Green suffered a foot injury and will miss the rest of the series. 

The Celtics lost seven of their last eight games 

The Boston Celtics have played in a terrible form over the last few weeks, going 1-7 straight up and ATS in their previous eight contests overall. Without Jaylen Brown (wrist) who’s done for the season, the Celtics don’t look like a team capable of pulling off an upset in the postseason. 

Jayson Tatum should be ready to play Friday after getting poked in the eye by Kevin Durant in Game 2. Tatum went only 3-for-12 in 21 minutes on the floor last Tuesday before leaving the clash in the third quarter. 

The Celtics made just 42.4% of their field goals in Game 2 while making 12 triples out of 34 attempts from deep (35.3%). Back in the opener, they shot only 36.9% from the field and 36.7% from beyond the 3-point line. 

NBA Betting Trends:

Brooklyn:

• 7-0 ATS in the last seven games overall 
• 5-0 ATS in the last five tilts against the Eastern Conference 

Boston:

• 0-5 ATS in the last five games against Brooklyn 
• 5-11 ATS in the last 16 games overall   

NBA Picks

This is the end of the road for the Celtics, and I’m expecting the Nets to sweep the series and get some rest days ahead of the semis. Covering a 7-point spread could be a tricky job if the Celtics find their shooting rhythm and make some treys, but I’m still backing the visitors to cover. 

Simply put, the Nets are a much better team than the Celtics, especially on the offensive end. If the Nets replicate their offensive performance from Game 2, they will dismantle the Celtics once more. 

Pick: Take Brooklyn Nets -7.0 at -110    

The Total:

Game 1 was a proper low-scoring affair, as both sides struggled mightily to make open shots. The Nets exploded in Game 2 and dropped 130 points on the Celtics, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they surpass a 120-point line in Game 3. 

Brooklyn possesses too many dangerous weapons, and the Celtics will need a ton of luck to cope with the Nets defensively for all 48 minutes. Therefore, I’m backing the over even though the under is 4-1 in the last five matchups between Brooklyn and Boston. 

Pick: Go over 228.0 points at -110     

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