It’s hard to ask for more star power in one game than this one. Thursday night, the Phoenix Suns will make their way east to take on what is statistically the best team in the NBA in the Boston Celtics. It’s still a little ways away, but there’s no reason it couldn’t be an NBA Finals preview.
If you’re looking to bet on the game, there is a lot of ground to cover. It’s a must-win for the Suns, and for the Celtics, it’s all about keeping up their momentum heading into the playoffs. Let’s go over injury concerns, betting trends, and wagers to consider in this game preview.
Bet on Suns vs. Celtics
PHX +6
BOS -6
Suns vs. Celtics odds
| Suns Moneyline Odds | +200 |
| Celtics Moneyline Odds | -245 |
| Over/Under | 227.5 points (over -110, under -110) |
| Spread | Celtics -6 (-110) |
| Time/Date | March 14, 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | Broadcast: SN1 Stream: NBA League Pass (How to watch the NBA in Canada?) |
All odds courtesy of 
About the Suns (38-27 SU, 25-38-2 ATS, 28-37 o/u)
Tied for sixth in the Western Conference with the Sacramento Kings, the Suns aren’t where many expected them to be. They would need to put together a major run to end the season in order to crack the top portion of the conference, which is where so many anticipated that they would be.
These two teams already faced one another just a few days ago in Phoenix. The Celtics got the better of the exchange, walking away with a 117-107 victory. It has been an up-and-down trek for the Suns over the last 10 or so games on the whole, which is, in a sense, a microcosm of the season in Phoenix.
The Suns are exactly 5-5 over their last 10 games. They have some impressive wins over the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Cleveland Cavaliers but they have also been beaten by the Celtics, Houston Rockets (twice), Oklahoma City Thunder, and Dallas Mavericks. Finding consistency has been a major issue for the Suns all year long and this latest stretch shows it.
For now, it remains to be seen what this team can do when it matters most. One would think that a team with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal would be a favourite more often than not, but the Suns can’t seem to find any consistency to their game. There’s still time to gain a bit of steam before the playoffs start but the Suns may be staring down a first-round series against the Timberwolves or Thunder at the rate things are going.
About the Celtics (51-14 SU, 33-29-3 ATS, 29-34-2 o/u)
To say that the Celtics are playing well is kind of redundant, at this point. They are the best team in the NBA in nearly every conceivable metric. They have a whopping 9.5-game lead on the Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks for the top spot in the Eastern Conference and five games on the Nuggets for the best overall record in the NBA.
Since a Feb. 1 loss to the Lakers, the Celtics have lost just twice (14-2 overall in that stretch). Those losses came at the hands of the Nuggets and a massive collapse against the Cavaliers. It’s hard to criticize those losses, though, given the fact that the Celtics have routinely beaten everyone else who has been in their way.
How do you even further underscore how dominant a 51-14 team is? The Celtics, who host this matchup with the Suns, are an incredible 29-3 at home this season. They are one of six teams in the NBA with under 10 losses at home this season and it makes the playoffs even more challenging for opponents given that the road will, inevitably, go through Boston.
The last few years have been good for the Celtics, but this may be the first in a long time where the expectations are firmly “championship or bust.” Jayson Tatum is having a career year in many ways, but what he does when it matters most is what he will be remembered for. On Thursday night, expectations will be that it’s business as usual, and another home win.
Kevin Durant over 27.5 points
-120
Injury concerns
While things have largely gone well for the Celtics, there may be a pair of key omissions for the matchup with the Suns. Kristaps Porzingis has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Jaylen Brown has been listed as questionable with a back injury and is considered to be day-to-day.
The Suns have a few names that recently went on the injured list. Eric Gordon (knee) is considered questionable for the Celtics game. Josh Okogie is out with an abdominal issue. Finally, Nassir Little (knee) is expected to suit up but could wind up missing when all is said and done.
Betting trends
- Despite being pretty average against the spread overall, the Celtics have been on fire since Valentine’s Day. Prior to the 105-104 loss to the Cavaliers, the Celtics had covered in six straight. On the whole, they have covered in nine of 11 games and are on a three-game streak, including covering when the two teams last met (117-107).
- The Suns, one of the worst teams against the spread this year, seem incapable of putting a prolonged streak together. They have failed to cover in six of seven and their last stretch of covers came back when they beat the Kings and Pistons on Feb. 13/14.
- It has been a rough trend for the Celtics when it comes to the over/under. They have hit the over just 30 times this season, including just three times in the last 10 games. Their last over actually came in the loss to the Nuggets, and they have either gone under or pushed in five of six.
Player prop trends
- Durant remains one of the most dominant scorers in the league, someone who can get a basket seemingly at will. His points prop is set at 27.5, a number he has easily cleared in four straight. He has bested the mark in six of his last 10 games, including five of six.
- Tatum continues to have a dominant season and that is no more evident than his points + rebounds + assists prop (44.5 total). That’s a daunting number to hit, as evidenced by the fact that he has only topped the mark three times in his last 10 games. That said, one of those was against Phoenix, when he went for 29-10-7.
- Jusuf Nurkic has been a beast on the glass of late. His rebounds prop is set at 11.5, which he has cleared six times over the last 10 games. Granted, he has missed the mark the last two games, including falling just short by picking up 11 rebounds against the Celtics back on March 9.
Wagers to consider
- Durant has been a scoring machine lately. The Suns need him to be at his best and they need this game badly. If they have any chance of winning, it will be thanks to Durant having a monster night. Take his points over (27.5, -120) with confidence.
- The Celtics have been as dominant as can be of late. Even after blowing the huge lead to the Cavaliers, they seem to have shaken it off and gotten back to normal. They are also dominant on their home floor, so take them to cover (-6, -110) in a comfortable win.
- Despite the Celtics being relatively mediocre when it comes to the over, there is too much talent here to go against it. They combined for 224 points the last time out but should just get past the 227.5 over (-110) in this one.
