NBA Predictions: Are Celtics going to cover versus Pelicans? 1/16/18

Pelicans vs. Celtics Pick

Will the host Boston Celtics going to ride their home-court advantage to victory tonight when they battle the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30PM ET?

Who Oddsmakers Like: Boston. According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, the Celtics are listed as a 4.5-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 214 points. The spread has stayed at 4.5 points since it opened, while the total has dropped from 215.

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Who the Public Likes: Boston. As of Tuesday morning, a whopping 94 percent of public bets have been placed on the Celtics.

Injury Report: Pelicans point guard Jameer Nelson will miss his second straight game as he is away from the team tending to a personal matter. Frank Jackson will be out until late January after foot surgery. Tony Allen is out until early February with a broken fibula. Alex Ajinca is out for the season after surgery on his patellar tendon. Solomon Hill is out until mid-February with a torn hamstring. For the Celtics, Al Horford is probable to play despite a sore calf. Jayson Tatum is probable despite being hampered with a knee injury. Shane Larkin is questionable with an illness. Jaylen Brown is questionable with a knee injury. Gordon Heyward is out for the season with a broken ankle and fractured fibula suffered in the season opener.

Who the Trends Like: New Orleans is 2-6 ATS in the last eight meetings. The under is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings in Boston and 12-5 in the last 17 meetings overall.

Who We Like: Boston is rolling once again, having won seven in a row including home triumphs over the Rockets and Cavaliers. While New Orleans has won two in a row, it is a very inconsistent team and had to go to overtime to notch a 123-118 victory at the Knicks last game. The Pelicans play very little team defense, particularly on the perimeter. Expect Kyrie Irving and Tatum, if he plays, to catch fire from the outside to help the hosts cover the spread here and win an eighth consecutive game.

 

NBA DAILY PREDICTION: BOSTON CELTICS -4.5