The Boston Celtics (29-9) will try to remain unbeaten at home this season when they host the Houston Rockets (19-18) on Saturday night. Boston has lost two of its last three games, including a 135-102 loss at Milwaukee on Thursday. The Celtics still have the best record in the Eastern Conference though, sitting three games ahead of the Bucks for that distinction. Houston snapped its two-game losing streak with a 112-110 win at Detroit on Friday, moving into ninth place in the Western Conference.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on Saturday at TD Garden. Boston is favored by 15.5 points in the latest Celtics vs. Rockets odds, while the over/under is set at 228 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Rockets vs. Celtics picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past five-plus seasons. The model enters Week 12 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 112-62 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $4,000. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Houston-Boston. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
Celtics vs. Rockets spread: Celtics -15.5
Celtics vs. Rockets over/under: 228 points
Celtics vs. Rockets money line: Celtics -1380, Rockets +825
Celtics vs. Rockets picks: See picks here
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston set a franchise record for consecutive home wins to open a season when it beat Minnesota in overtime on Wednesday, improving to 18-0 at TD Garden. The Celtics are the only team in the NBA with a perfect record at home. Power forward Jayson Tatum poured in 45 points against the Timberwolves, shooting 13 of 26 from the floor and 6 of 11 from 3-point range.
Small forward Jaylen Brown added 35 points and 11 rebounds, finishing 9 of 16 from the field. The Celtics came up short at Milwaukee on Thursday, but they will be in a good bounce-back position in front of their home crowd. They have won six of their last seven games against Western Conference opponents, and they have covered the spread in five of their last six games against Houston.
Why the Rockets can cover
Boston has been the league’s best home team, but it has not been a profitable betting option in recent weeks. The Celtics have only covered the spread three times in their last nine games, and they are 2-10 against the spread in their last 12 games in January. They gave up a 25-0 run to Milwaukee in the first half on Thursday, getting blown out in a 135-102 final as 2-point underdogs.
Houston got back above the .500 mark this season with a 112-110 win at Detroit on Friday, as Fred VanVleet scored 17 points in the second half. Center Alperen Sengun led the team with 29 points and six rebounds, while shooting guard Jalen Green had 28 points. First-year head coach Ime Udoka is very familiar with Boston’s roster after leading the Celtics to the NBA Finals during the 2021-22 season. See which team to pick here.
How to make Celtics vs. Rockets picks
The model has simulated Rockets vs. Celtics 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Rockets, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Rockets vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 112-62 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out