Boston Celtics at Denver Nuggets Betting Odds


Opening Line: Boston +4 / Denver -4 O/U 198

Time: 3:30 PM EST Sunday February 21, 2010 on ABC

Tonight in Mile High City the Denver Nuggets host the Boston Celtics. The Nuggets are coming off a loss and are only 5-5 in their last 10 games. While many team, including Boston, made deals before the trade deadline the Nuggets stood pat and will try to get back to the Western Conference finals with the team they have.

The Celtics have won 3 straight away from Boston including winning in L.A. against the Lakers without Kevin Garnett. KG will be back in the lineup tonight and the Celtics really need their defensive stopper against a Nuggets team that ranks 3rd in the league in scoring. The Celtics trading for scoring PG Nate Robinson from the Knicks, but he has yet to play a game in a Boston uniform because of illness and will not play tonight.

This season the Nuggets are 23-5 at home and 25-28-2 ATS and the Celtics are 20-9 on the road and 21-31-1 on the road.

Both teams played on Friday night, but with different results, as the Celtics beat the Portland Trailblazers 96-76 while the Nuggets lost to the weak Washington Wizards 107-97.

KG really has played solid D on Carmelo Anthony (29.3 ppg) in his time with Boston holding Melo to only 19.3 ppg on 38.7% shooting in 3 games against him.

The team that can play to their strength will win this game, as Denver ranks 3rd in the league in scoring and Boston ranks 1st in the league in points allowed.

If the game is a low scoring on the Celtics have the advantage, but if the game is a high scoring one the Nuggets have the edge.

Ray Allen (16.3 ppg) may have got a fire lit under his but after trade rumors and in his last 2 games averaging 22.5 points on 65.5% shooting in his last 2 games. Since donning a Celtics' uniform he has averaged 23.5 ppg against Denver in 4 games against them.

Kenyon Martin and Nene have to play solid inside D on KG and Kendrick Perkins and vice versa, as the team that can win on the boards has a good chance to win this game.

Boston is 4-11-1 ATS in their last 16 games, 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 games as a road underdog of 0.5-4.5, and has an Under record of 5-0 in their last 5 road games.

Denver is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 home games against teams with a winning road record, 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite, and has an Over record of 5-0 in their last 5 games against teams with a winning percentage above 60%.

In the last 8 games between these 2 teams the total has gone Over 6 times.

Our Selection : The Celtics have only gone over the posted total in 2 of their last 10 games and have played in only one game in L10 where the combined total has gone over today's line of 198. Nate Robinson being out with the flu doesn't harm our chances either. Take the under 198.


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