Celtics vs. Wizards prediction and odds for Tuesday, March 28
By Josh Yourish
It was theirs all season long, but the Boston Celtics gave away the top spot in the Eastern Conference and now they’re trying to fight to get it back. Currently, they’re 2.0 games behind Milwaukee with seven games to go including one against the Bucks on Thursday. Before we get there, Boston will have to hold serve against one of the lesser teams in the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards.
Boston is 52-23 and have won three straight while Washington is 33-42 and lost to Toronto on Sunday. The Celtics need a win and the Wizards should probably start losing. Let’s get into the odds for this matchup.
Celtics vs. Wizards odds, spread and total
Celtics vs. Wizards prediction and pick
Boston is playing well right now and they seem to be out of their swoon that dropped them behind the Bucks. They are 8-5 in March after starting the month 1-3. For the month, they are ninth in offensive rating, but have the best defensive rating in the NBA. That was their identity last season and what carried them to the NBA finals and it seems to be coming back under Joe Mazzulla.
On Sunday, Boston killed the Spurs without Jayson Tatum or Robert Williams on the floor, 137-93, and now it seems likely that Tatum will return to play tonight. In March he’s averaging 30.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Another positive is that Marcus Smart, who hasn’t looked like himself or played well lately, has started to take more of a backseat to Derrick White. Smart has played less than 30 minutes in each of their last two games.
The Wizards are going without Kyle Kuzma and Bradley Beal tonight, both are listed as out with injuries, but there is also some intention to tank the final two weeks of the season away. That’s something Washington should have done a long time ago, but even with a tanking unit, they could hang around in this one.
The Celtics are 100% going to look past this game to their matchup with the Bucks on Thursday, especially with Beal and Kuzma out. In the NBA, anybody can catch you sleeping if you don’t bring your best game and I expect the Celtics to come out flat. They’re just so dominant on defense that instead of taking Washington with the points I’ll take the under in case Boston does show up.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change