The Boston Celtics (38-19) and Denver Nuggets (36-22) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 10:00 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Nuggets are 3.5-point favorites over the Celtics on the spread (Nuggets -3.5), with the over/under set at 228.5 total points. Denver is a -165 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Boston is +140 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Celtics vs. Nuggets predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, February 25.
Celtics vs Nuggets Prediction
- Celtics vs Nuggets pick: Sam Hauser 10+ Points (-115)
My Celtics vs Nuggets best bet is on Sam Hauser to score 10+ points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Celtics vs Nuggets Odds
| Celtics Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 228.5 -110o / -110u | +140 |
| Nuggets Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 228.5 -110o / -110u | -165 |
Celtics vs Nuggets NBA Preview
Can you definitively say this is not an NBA Finals preview? I can't write it off, even though this is a long shot given what needs to break right for each team, starting with health.
Heading into this spot, the Nuggets have been unsteady. Our resident Denver expert Matt Moore would even say they are unwarranted favorites against a Celtics team that continues to overachieve.
Boston won by a score of 97-81 in last night's slugfest against the Suns, with both teams missing their two best players, respectively.
The Celtics could be very short-handed again tonight.
We know about Jayson Tatum (Achilles), who still isn't back yet, though some expect that to happen this season, despite Boston being tight-lipped.
Jaylen Brown (knee) sat out last night's win over Phoenix due to a bruised knee. Monitor his status leading up to tipoff.
For the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Peyton Watson (hamstring) and Jalen Pickett (knee) are out.
Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Julian Strawther (toe) are probable to play.
Celtics vs Nuggets Predictions, Betting Analysis
Sam Hauser has scored 10 or more points in 13 of 18 games and is playing nearly 30 minutes per game during this stretch in which he has returned to the Celtics' starting lineup.
Hauser is shooting 43 percent from three-point range during this run and better than 46 percent from the field too.
Tonight, he draws a Denver defense that has allowed the seventh-most three-point attempts per 100 possessions.
Pick: Sam Hauser 10+ Points (-115)
Spread
I'm staying away from the spread in tonight's matchup.
Moneyline
No play on the moneyline as well.
Over/Under
My Celtics vs. Nuggets betting prediction is on Sam Hauser to score 10+ points.
