Wizards vs. Celtics Odds For NBA Postseason Play-In Tournament (May 18)

Wizards NBA Playoff Odds

On April 10, the Wizards were 19-33 and seemingly headed for their third-straight NBA Draft Lottery.

Since then, the Wizards are 15-5, have posted a top-10 Defensive Rating (110.4) and Offensive Rating (115.8), and went from 13th to eighth in the East to put themselves one win away from a playoff berth.

The biggest driving force for the Wizards has been Russell Westbrook, who looks a lot more like the version we remember from his days in Oklahoma City. His all-around game not only got him the all-time triple-double record, but has also re-energized the Wizards' offense averaging 23.6 points, 13.9 assists and 13.6 rebounds per game.

Bradley Beal has also been a dominant scorer all season and got even better when Washington needed it — he scored 32.2 points per game in his final 17 games. His health will be the top concern after he missed three of Washington's final four games with a hamstring injury.

Over their 20-game stretch, the Wizards went 15-4-1 against the spread (ATS), including 8-1-1 ATS on the road. That will be key for them as they have to play on the road in the Play-In Tournament just to make the NBA Playoffs and will be rewarded with two more road games in the first round.

The Wizards have the second-best odds to make the final eight in the East behind the Boston Celtics, but a deep run in the playoffs isn't expected based on Washington's title futures.

However, if the Wizards haven't completely emptied the gas tank in the run-up to the Play-In, they will be a tough out for any potential playoff opponent.

Celtics NBA Playoff Odds

There is arguably no team in the Eastern Conference that had a more disappointing season than the Celtics. Boston was two wins away from an NBA Finals appearance during last season's playoffs and entered this season with high expectations.

The Celtics even had career seasons from their two best players: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both made the All-Star team and are one of two pairs of teammates to finish in the top-20 in scoring this season (the Pelicans' Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are the others).

But the Celtics, like many teams were derailed by a combination of injuries and COVID-19 from the beginning of the season. Kemba Walker missed the first 11 games of the season while he recovered from a knee injury and missed seven of their last 11 games to close out the season.

Jayson Tatum has been vocal about battle with COVID and its lingering impact on his conditioning this season. And if that wasn't enough, Jaylen Brown is out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury.

Even with their health issues, the Celtics were tied for fourth in the East with 15 games left in the season and had a good shot to clinch a playoff spot. Instead, the Celtics went 5-10 over that span and fell to No. 7 in the East. Over that span, their Offensive Rating ranked 20th in the NBA (110.9).

The Celtics need just one win in the Play-In games to secure their spot in the playoffs and they have the second-best odds of all eight play-in teams to make the postseason. However, oddsmakers aren't expecting them to make much noise.

If they win their first play-in game, they would draw the Brooklyn Nets, a team the Celtics are 0-3 against this season. If they lose the first play-in game and win the second, they would play the Philadelphia 76ers … who the Celtics are 0-3 against this season.

Despite all their struggles and the absence of Brown, the Celtics have experience and elite players on their side, so they can't be counted out. But a tough road awaits them if they can clear the first hurdle.