The Oklahoma City Thunder have won six straight games, cashing tickets with a 5-1 spread record. Scott Brooks' squad begins a three-date road trip with Monday night’s matchup against the Boston Celtics, who have dropped four straight with a 0-4 ATS slide in that stretch.
Sportsbooks opened Oklahoma City as a two-point favorite, while
first setting the ‘total’ at 188. Early NBA betting action favored the
Thunder and the ‘under,’ moving the numbers to 2.5 and 187, respectively.
Thunder cash as big ‘chalk’
Oklahoma City’s latest win came in Saturday’s 104-92 triumph as an
11-point home favorite against the New York Knicks. The Thunder led by as
many as 31 points, while shooting 47.9 percent from the field.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant piled in a team-high 28 points, with
he and mate James Harden uniting for a perfect 12-of-12 at the foul line. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook logged eight rebounds and eight assists en
route to finishing with 21 points.
The lopsided affair’s combined 196 points ducked below the closing
‘total’ of 197, making the ‘under’ 6-2 in the Oklahoma City’s last eight
games. Thunder rookie Reggie Jackson logged three of his squad’s 12
steals off the bench, while going scoreless in a 0-for-4 night from the field.
Celtics crushed in the paint
Boston’s latest setback came in Saturday’s 97-83 loss as a 3.5 point road dog against the Indiana Pacers. The Celitcs were held to
38.6 percent field shooting, while being edged out in paint points, 42-24.
Boston Celtics mates Paul Piece and Kevin Garnett notched 21 points each,
uniting to hit 15-of-31 field buckets. Boston’s Jermaine O’Neal and Rajon
Rondo recorded team-highs of 12 boards and nine assists, respectively.
The contest’s combined 180 points ‘pushed’ for ‘total’ players,
ending a 4-0 ‘under’ streak from the Celtics’ prior four games. Boston
trailed by as many as 20 points, while being outrebounded, 52-45.
Back the ‘over’ at TD Garden
Monday’s tip is scheduled for 8 p.m. (ET), with TNT providing the
national television coverage.
I am adding the ‘over' to my NBA picks, looking for higher octane
to surface than both clubs’ recent stretches of action. Oklahoma City has
allowed 95 PPG in its six road games, while Boston brings home the league’s top
three-point shooting at 43.4 percent.
The Thunder have notched 102.3 PPG in their present win streak,
exceeding their fifth-ranked 100.3 PPG for the season overall. Durant and
Co. also rank first in free throws, connecting at 80.6 percent from the charity
stripe.
Boston’s Rajon Rondo is tied with Phoenix’ Steve Nash atop the
league for assists (10.1 APG). The two-time All-Star could have a
breakout night here, logging double figures for assists in two of the Celtics’
last three meetings against the Thunder.
Durant has broken the 20-point barrier for Oklahoma City in six
straight games, making him third in the league for scoring (25.8 PPG). The fourth-year superstar has picked up steam in his last two games, hitting a
combined 21-of-30 from the field, including 4-of-6 beyond the arc.
Look for both squads to let it all hang out for the TNT cameras, with
the Thunder looking to stay hot and Boston hoping to end its slump. The
‘total’ is the lowest number set between these foes since 2008, with a battle
here that should have more running and gunning than the oddsmakers expect.
My Pick: Back the Over