Washington Wizards at Boston Celtics - 5/18/21 NBA Picks and Prediction
Photo by Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Boston Celtics (36-36) vs Washington Wizards (34-38)
Game Info: Tuesday, May 18, 2021 at 9:00 pm (TD Garden)
Betting Odds: Boston Celtics -1.5 -- Over/Under: 234.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Washington Wizards and Boston Celtics meet Tuesday in the NBA East Playoff play-in game at the TD Garden.
The Washington Wizards enter the playoffs after winning 10 of their last 15 games. The Washington Wizards are averaging 116.6 points on 47.5 percent shooting and allowing 118.5 points on 47.1 percent shooting. Bradley Beal is averaging 31.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while Russell Westbrook is averaging 22.2 points and 11.7 assists. Rui Hachimura is the third double-digit scorer and Davis Bertans is grabbing 2.9 rebounds. The Washington Wizards are shooting 35.1 percent from beyond the arc and 76.9 percent from the free throw line. The Washington Wizards are allowing 36.9 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 45.2 rebounds per game.
The Boston Celtics enter the playoffs with losses in five of their last six games. The Boston Celtics are averaging 112.6 points on 46.6 percent shooting and allowing 111.2 points on 46.4 percent shooting. Jayson Tatum is averaging 26.4 points and 7.4 rebounds while Kemba Walker is averaging 19.3 points and 4.9 assists. Marcus Smart is the third double-digit scorer and Evan Fournier is grabbing 3.3 rebounds. The Boston Celtics are shooting 37.4 percent from beyond the arc and 77.5 percent from the free throw line. The Boston Celtics are allowing 37.4 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 44.3 rebounds per game.
The Wizards are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 road games and 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 games overall. The Celtics are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games and 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games overall. The over is 5-1 in Wizards last 6 road games. The over is 6-0 in Celtics last 6 home games. The Wizards are 3-12-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings in Boston and 4-1-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings.
The Washington Wizards were one of the hotter teams in the league over the last month and they're winning their last five games by an average of 3.2 points. The Boston Celtics blew their chance to avoid the play-in game with losses in five of their last six games and they're without Jaylen Brown. It feels like the Wizards enter this contest in better form and have a better chance of winning. In a do or die game, you want Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal on your side. Give me the free bucket with the Wizards, a game they should win outright.
Randy’s Pick Washington Wizards +1.5
AUTHOR: Randy Chambers
Mitch's Take...
