It’s no doubt a preview of the NBA Finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder host the Boston Celtics on Thursday night (9:30 pm ET on Amazon Prime). The defending champion Thunder once again found themselves at the top of the Western Conference; The Celtics are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit, but they are headed for number 1.
Let’s get into my Celtics vs. Thunder.
Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder odds
Money line: Celtics +210 / Thunder -255
Spread: Celtics +6.5 (-106) / Thunder -6.5 (-114)
Total: Over 215.5 (-112) / Under 215.5 (-108)
Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder best bet: Celtics +6.5 (-106)
You have to love pretty much everything about the Celtics right now. They are 14-4 in their last 18 games and Jayson Tatum is back from his Achilles injury. Tatum is questionable Thursday (possible load management), so it’s worth proceeding with caution until his status is confirmed. Still, one would think Tatum would play — maybe 25 to 30 minutes — in a matchup between the top two teams in the organization.
Tatum has played three games since his return and is averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Boston lost at San Antonio on Tuesday, but started the current road trip with a win at Cleveland. This team is playing well, and Jaylen Brown is going to come out hot tonight following his recent controversial release.
The Thunder also plays well enough, but doesn’t hit opponents convincingly. In their last 15 games, OKC has won by double digits just three times. Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein are out, so it’s hard to see Oklahoma City suddenly beating the best team in the East by large margins.
