Boston Celtics vs San Antonio Spurs Prediction 12/31/2023
PublishedDecember 31, 2023,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:December 31, 2023 , ,

NBA: Boston Celtics vs San Antonio Spurs Prediction 12/31/2023

The Boston Celtics (25-6) travel to face off against the San Antonio Spurs (5-26) on Sunday, December 31st. This game will be played at Frost Bank Center. The Celtics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Spurs are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Raptors. Tip-off is set for 7:00 ET.

Celtics vs Spurs

The Celtics Are Coming Off A Winboston celtics

In their last game, the Celtics defeated the Raptors with a final score of 120-118. The Celtics tipped off as -5.5-point favorites, but despite their 2 point victory, they couldn’t cover the spread. Before the game, the over/under line was 228 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

Coming into today’s game, the Celtics are 25-6 overall and have won five straight games. In conference play, they are 21-4 and have gone 4-2 in non-conference games.

Boston has an ATS record of 14-15 so far this season which includes their current two game losing streak vs. the spread. On the road, the Celtics have an ATS record of 5-9 compared to a 9-6 record vs. the spread at home.

The Spurs Look To Bounce Back From A Losssan antonio spurs

The Spurs is coming off a loss to the Trail Blazers in their latest game, ending with a score of 134-128. The Spurs turned the game around and came out on top, despite being in a trailing position at halftime with 71-56.

When facing Western Conference teams, the Spurs have gone 5-18 and are 0-8 against non-conference opponents. Overall, the Spurs are 5-26 and have gone 2-8 in their last ten games.

San Antonio has an overall ATS record of 12-19 for the season so far. The Spurs maintain an ATS record of 6-10 on the road, while they have a 6-9 record vs. the spread when playing at home.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

The Celtics step onto the court for today’s game as one of the NBA’s top-scoring squads, putting up 120.3 points per game (6th). When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Celtics are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.3 per contest. However, they have been able to make up for this slow style of place by scoring with a high rate of efficiency. This season, they are ranked 7th in made field goals per game.

Spurs Offense Breakdown

In 31 games games, San Antonio has an average of 111.7 points per game (25th). Coming into today’s game, the Spurs will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 12.8 made 3’s per game. Not only is the San Antonio offense struggling with their outside shot, but they are also getting to the charity stripe at a below average rate. So far, they are the 29th ranked team in made free-throws per contest.

Celtics Team Defense

So far this season, the Celtics defense has been performing well, ranking 4th in the NBA at 110.5 points allowed per contest. In the terms of takeaways, Celtics are causing 12.5 turnovers per game, ranking 9th in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 5th in rejections, averaging 6.2 blocked shots each game.

Spurs Team Defense

At present, the Spurs’ defense is ranked 28th, allowing 123.0 points per game. San Antonio struggled on the boards in their last game vs. the Trail Blazers, giving up 13. For the game, Portland scored 134 points in the game.

Key Players For The Celtics And Spurs

In today’s game, we anticipate Jrue Holiday leading the scoring for the Celtics, contributing 17 points while shooting 7/14 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 13.1 points per game, in addition to 6.6 rebounds.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Doug McDermott to be the top scorer for the Spurs. Our projection has him finishing the game with 4, and he is expected to secure 1 rebound. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 45.2% and is averaging 6.2 points per contest.

Celtics vs Spurs Trends

  • Boston has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 130 points per game while allowing 119. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
  • Across their five previous home games, San Antonio has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 115 points per game.
  • As the betting underdog, the Spurs have an ATS mark of just 1-4 in their last five games. San Antonio posted a straight up mark of 1-4 in these matchups.
  • In their last five games as the betting favorite, the Celtics have a straight up record of 4-1, while going 2-3 against the spread.

Celtics vs Spurs Prediction

We’re backing the Celtics for a victory, with the projected score at 153-119. Additionally, we favor them to cover the spread, so we recommend placing a bet on the Celtics at -13.5.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 238 and given that our model is projecting 272 points between the teams, we like the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.