The Boston Celtics (20-5) travel to face off against the Washington Wizards (3-20) on Sunday, December 15th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on NBCS. The Celtics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Wizards are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Wizards. Tip-off is set for 6:00 ET.

Celtics vs Wizards

The Celtics Are Coming Off A Win

The Celtics improved to 20-5 on the season with a 123-99 win over the Pistons on Thursday. Playing at home, Boston was favored by 11.5 points and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 222, just under the 224.5-point line.

Boston jumped out to a 27-16 lead after the 1st quarter and went on a 10-0 run to extend their lead from 38-33 to 48-33. They outscored Detroit 34-24 in the 3rd quarter and entered the 4th with a 93-68 lead. The Pistons edged Boston 31-30 in the final period.

The Wizards Are Coming Off A Win

Washington’s season continued to be a struggle as they fell to 3-20 after a 115-105 loss to the Cavaliers on Friday. The Wizards, who were +16.5 point underdogs, managed to keep the game closer than expected on the road.

A 15-0 run by the Cavaliers turned the game early, but Washington fought back to keep things competitive. The Wizards trailed 87-80 heading into the 4th quarter, but Cleveland outscored them 28-25 in the final period. The total points for the game ended at 220, falling short of the 232.5 O/U line.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

In their win over the Pistons, the Celtics shot 51.1% from the field and made 20 three-pointers at a 41.7% clip. Payton Pritchard and Derrick White each hit 7 threes, with Pritchard finishing with 27 points and 10 assists, and White adding 23 points.

Pritchard scored 11 points in the 2nd quarter and another 10 in the 4th. Kristaps Porzingis contributed 19 points, while Jaylen Brown added 10 of his 14 points in the 3rd quarter.

Wizards Offense Breakdown

Bilal Coulibaly led the Wizards with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists in their 115-105 loss to the Cavaliers, hitting 5 threes at a 62.5% rate. He shot 55.6% from the field overall. Jordan Poole added 17 points, though he struggled from deep, making just 2 threes at 25%.

Justin Champagnie contributed 16 points and 8 rebounds, scoring 9 points in the 4th quarter. The Wizards made 14 threes as a team, shooting 35% from beyond the arc, and finished with a 47.7% field goal percentage.

Celtics Team Defense

The Celtics put on a defensive clinic against the Pistons, holding them to just 99 points and 42% shooting from the field. Boston was especially strong in the 1st quarter, allowing only 16 points. They gave up 28 points in the 2nd quarter, 24 in the 3rd, and 31 in the 4th.

Boston’s defense was particularly effective from beyond the arc, where they limited the Pistons to just 7 made threes on 18% shooting. The Celtics also sent Detroit to the line only 10 times, where they made 8 free throws. Boston finished with 43 defensive rebounds, allowed 9 offensive boards, and recorded 6 steals and 4 blocks.

Wizards Team Defense

The Celtics put on a defensive clinic against the Pistons, holding them to just 99 points on Thursday. Boston set the tone early, allowing only 16 points in the 1st quarter. They gave up 28 points in the 2nd, 24 in the 3rd, and 31 in the 4th but still managed to keep Detroit under 100 points.

Boston’s defense was particularly effective from beyond the arc, where they held the Pistons to just 18% shooting and only 7 made threes. The Celtics also sent Detroit to the line just 10 times, where they made 8 free throws. Boston controlled the boards with 43 defensive rebounds, allowing 9 offensive boards, and added 6 steals and 4 blocks.

Celtics vs Wizards Trends

• Through their last three road games, Boston has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 2-1 while averaging 119 points per game.
• Across their last three home contests, Washington has a 2-1 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 0-3, while averaging 102 points per game.
• Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Wizards have gone 2-1 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
• Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Celtics have a strong record of 4-1. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.

Celtics vs Wizards Prediction

We’re putting our money on the Celtics to win, and have the projected score sitting at 133-94. We also like them to cover the spread, so our recommendation is to bet on the Celtics at -16.

As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 229.5, and our model projects the Celtics and Wizards to reach a combined total of 227 points. Our bet is on taking the under.

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

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* 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.