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Warriors vs Celtics NBA 2021 Odds, Picks & Prediction Week 9

Buoyed By Beating Bucks, Boston Awaits Visit From Curry, Golden State

The Golden State Warriors eye a third straight road win when they descend on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Friday night. The Celtics are coming off an upset win at home over the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks.

Bookmakers installed the Warriors as the road favorites, but they’re not writing off the Celtics in the betting. The opening NBA spread sees the Celtics pegged as the 3½-point home underdogs on the betting online board.

Warriors and Celtics Collide
Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP

Golden State Warriors at Boston Celtics

  • Game: Golden State Warriors (23-5) at Boston Celtics (14-14)
  • Location: TD Garden, Boston
  • Day/Time: Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Television: ESPN)

Curry Makes History

History was made by Stephen Curry in Golden State’s 105-96 win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night. Curry was chasing Ray Allen’s all-time three-point record after moving to within 10 three-pointers made in Golden State’s 104-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers last Wednesday. One doesn’t need to be an NBA savant to get a sense of the enormity of what Curry was on the verge of doing, but it was a bit of a distraction.

Oddsmakers weighed in on when it would happen with a slew of NBA props at the sportsbook exchange. The first game on their five-game road trek, which saw the Warriors face the Philadelphia 76ers, was among the more popular bets. Alas, the Warriors lost that game 102-93 with Curry having a rather quiet night and putting up just 18 points with nine rebounds and five assists.

The Warriors bounced back into the win column in their ensuing game against the Indiana Pacers, eking out the 102-100 win. But the record didn’t drop as Curry put up 26 points with six rebounds and six assists. The Pacers denied Curry the record-breaking moment, allowing the star guard to put up just five three-pointers in their arena.

With Curry just two three-pointers away from cracking Allen’s record, it was inevitable that the struggling New York Knicks would play a part in history. And it didn’t take long, coming when the game was tied 12-12 in the first quarter.

The Warriors went on to win the game 105-96. Curry finished with 22 points, three rebounds and three assists. Jordan Poole had 19 points, nine rebounds and three assists while Andrew Wiggins had 18 points, four rebounds and three assists.

Celtics Upset Bucks

The Boston Celtics are a modest 14-14 and sitting in 10th place in the Eastern Conference ahead of Friday’s clash with the Western Conference leaders.

The Celtics went into Monday’s clash with the Milwaukee Bucks having lost three straight and four of their last five – all of which were on the road. It was their first home game in over a fortnight, but with form a concern, the Celtics closed as the small home underdogs against the defending champions.

Many NBA betting preview were quick to dismiss the Celtics entirely, dubbing them bigger underdogs than the odds would suggest. All told, the Celtics not only put paid on their naysayers, but they routed the Bucks in a 117-103 win.

The Celtics were down by as many as 12 points in the first half. They didn’t get down on themselves, though. They fought and scraped their way back into the game in the second half and made a fist of it in the end. To be fair, the Bucks were left a bit shell shocked afterward.

Jayson Tatum led the team with 42 points, five rebounds and four assists. Jaylen Brown put up 19 points with four rebounds and five assists while Grant Williams added 17 points with seven rebounds and one assist.

Back the Warriors to Cover

Now that the record is broken and Curry stands alone, he’s free to toss three-pointers to his heart’s content. The throne is his. No one is even close or going to depose him from his perch any time soon. Importantly, though, now that it’s out of the way, the Golden State Warriors can focus on the business of the season – playing basketball and winning games.

It’s no coincidence that during this heady time, the Warriors went on their longest stretch without a cover. Granted it was only three games, but that is the longest stretch without a cover for Golden State.

The Warriors failed to cover as the 14½-point home chalk against Portland; as the three-point favorites against Philadelphia (which was a loss on top of it all); and as the four-point favorites over Indiana.

The moment that Allen’s record dropped, the Warriors clinched their first cover in a week. Go figure. Beating the Knicks 105-96, they covered the the 5½ point spread easily.

The Celtics will be buoyed by their upset over the Bucks, but this could be a letdown spot. It’s been a few days since the achievement and the euphoria has had time to dissipate. The Warriors are a different kettle of fish.

Pick: Golden State Warriors -3½

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