The Celtics begin the second round against the Wizards. (Getty)
The Washington Wizards take on the Boston Celtics in the second round of the NBA playoffs. According to OddsShark, the Celtics are favored by four points in the opening game of the series.
The over-under is set at 215 points. The teams split their four contests this season. Despite neither team having the upper hand during the season, the games were not particularly close. Each game was decided by eight or more points.
Boston is 6-3-1 against the spread in their last ten games against the Wizards. However, the Celtics are just 18-26 against the spread at home this season.
The Celtics bring a lot of momentum into today’s game. After losing their first two games to the Bulls in the first round, Boston rebounded to win four straight games and advance to the next round.
According to The Los Angeles Times, Isaiah Thomas will be flying back from his sister’s funeral just a few hours before the game starts. Isaiah’s sister, Chyna, passed away in a car accident right before the playoffs started.
Under normal circumstances, this would be a spot where we would like the Celtics. However, we saw the first couple games how the tragic circumstances impacted the team. It is not that Thomas played bad, but it seemed to take its emotional toll on the entire team.
With Thomas coming back from the funeral then playing in the game a few hours after, it is hard to imagine Thomas being able to function at his typical high level. Look for the Wizards to take the first game of the series.
Heavy’s Pick: Wizards 101 Celtics 98. Wizards +4. Under on the Point Total.
