A possible NBA Finals preview is on tap Wednesday when the league-best Boston Celtics visit the Phoenix Suns. Following a slow start that saw them go 4-3 through the first two weeks of the campaign, the Celtics have been nearly unbeatable. They swept a road back-to-back against Brooklyn and Toronto just days after their five-game winning streak was ended by Miami. That setback was just Boston’s second in the last 18 games. The Suns are clinging to the top spot in the West despite losing two of their last three games, including a 19-point setback at Dallas on Monday night.
Wednesday’s game will air live on ESPN with tip off at 10 p.m. ET from Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game on the NBA schedule.
Celtics vs Suns Odds (Wednesday, December 7)
Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns (View today’s NBA odds)
Total (View NBA Over/Under odds)
Season to Date
No doubt the Celtics are the hottest team in the NBA right now and they’re a pretty good back at the betting window. They turned things on at the start of November rattling off nine consecutive wins to grab control of the East standings. And they didn’t let a little thing like a loss snowball into a bigger issue. The run ended in Chicago with a 14-point setback as a 5.5-point favorite so the Cs simply started another streak. They won their next five scoring at least 122 points with a payout in every game. That streak was ended by Miami on Friday in Boston’s last home game before a season-long six-game road trip. The trek started with wins over Brooklyn and Toronto giving the Celtics 16 wins in their last 18 games while going 13-5 ATS.
A short-term view has the Suns struggling with losses in two of their last three games. But the long-term outlook is more positive. The Suns had won six straight going 4-2 ATS in prior to the mini slump. They haven’t been as dominant as they were last season when the Suns posted the best record in the Western Conference, but they’ve been good enough to hold down the No. 1 seed despite the recent struggles. The streak ended with a surprising home loss to Houston when favored by 11.5 points. Finishing off their own back-to-back the Suns were mauled 130-111 by the Mavericks on Monday. The Suns have the most home wins in the NBA going 12-2 SU and 9-5 ATS in their matchups inside Footprint Center.
Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum has enjoyed an outstanding career since joining the Celtics as the third overall pick in the 2017 draft. This season has been his best so far and it’s almost like he has something to prove after a less than stellar Finals against the Warriors. He scored at least 30 points in a game for the 13th time dropping 31 with 12 boards in a 116-110 win over Toronto. Currently fifth in the NBA in scoring, Tatum is the face of the league’s highest scoring team, but he’s hardly alone.
The Cs have a deep, well-rounded roster with everybody contributing. Jaylen Brown averages over 26 points with four averages scoring at least 10 points a night. Tatum was huge in the win over the Raptors, but the team’s depth also played a role. With Al Horford and Malcolm Brogdon out of the lineup they still picked up a critical road win and cover. “It just shows who we are. We’re going to continue to play and own up to whatever happens,” Marcus Smart said.
Phoenix Suns
Playing a lot of home games in the first two months of the season gave the Suns a chance to string wins together. And they successful did that winning 12 of their first 14 at home. Things will eventually even out with the road-heavy December slate interrupted by a visit from the Celtics. Both teams are looking to get back to the Finals after the Suns lost to Milwaukee in 2021 and Boston was edged by Golden State last season. The window is still open for the teams but it’s starting to close on Chris Paul.
The Suns had to get used to life after CP3 since he hasn’t suited up since getting hurt in a loss at Philadelphia over a month ago, Devin Booker picked up a lot of the scoring slack going on a rampage recently totaling 136 points in a recent three-game stretch. Nearly matching the offensive output of the Celtics, the Suns average 116.5 points and shoot nearly 39 percent from behind the arc cashing the OVER in four of their last five games.
Celtics vs Suns Prediction
Two closely matched teams with plenty to prove should at least give us a good game. the last two second-place finishers are more concerned about what happens in the spring but are concerned enough to each lead their conference. Phoenix has been nails at home the past few seasons and I can see Boston hit a lull in the middle of a long road trip.
Prediction: Phoenix Suns and OVER
