We are officially at the home stretch of the 2021-22 NBA season when rebuilding teams posture for a better chance at a top draft pick and teams at the top of the standings are looking to secure a favorable postseason matchup. The Boston Celtics, of course, are part of the latter group.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cs sit two games back of the top-seeded Miami Heat, with the Milwaukee Bucks a half-game above Boston in the standings in the #2 seed.
Their Sunday opponent, the Washington Wizards, fit into the former category. Unlike the Celtics’ success this season, D.C.’s downward spiral throughout this soon-to-be-concluded campaign was not planned, nor welcomed.
In fact, the Wizards are going to be facing major roster questions in the offseason. You know the Bradley Beal trade rumors are only going to fire back up, and whether or not Kristaps Porzingis is a building block in the nation’s capital will be a major plotline to follow as well.
Perhaps the Cs themselves could even get involved in a deal for one of the two. Marcus Smart and Derrick White are rumored to be possible pieces in a Beal trade, while Porzingis’ remaining $70 million could be used in a fire sale if the Wizards aren’t interested in tying that much cap into a player that doesn’t fit a rebuilding timeline.
But enough about the distant future. The immediate future has a game that the Cs could use as a means to propel higher up the standings.
Does Boston get the job done in the season’s final home game? Or does Washington pick up a meaningless late-season victory at the T.D. Garden?
Hardwood Houdini is here to dish out odds, let you know where to catch the action, and lays a prediction ahead of today’s matinee at 100 Legends Way:
Boston Celtics vs. Washington Wizards odds, spread, over/under
According to WynnBet, the Celtics are 13-point favorites against the Wizards at home. Washington is a +650 underdog on the road, with the Cs moneyline set at -1000. The over/under for the game has been placed at 221.5 points.
Celtics vs. Wizards TV channel
NBC Sports Boston and NBC Sports Washington are your local homes to Sunday afternoon’s action. NBA League Pass is also an option for those out of market.
Celtics vs. Wizards prediction
With the final home game of the season on tap, the #3 seed Cs have a chance to move up in the standings. The Brooklyn Nets may end up in the #7 or #8 seed, but Ime Udoka isn’t coaching his guys to lose to avoid matchups in any round.
Take the Cs cover for the final home cookout of the 2021-22 regular season.