NBA betting: How to bet Celtics-Warriors on Wednesday night – Yahoo Sports

We have one night left until the biggest day in college basketball consumes us with 16 games of pure mayhem. For Wednesday night we're looking at the NBA card to give our bankroll another boost before one of the biggest sports betting weekends of the year. All three bets hit from Monday's side, total, and prop, giving us a clean 3-0 sweep on the night. Let's keep the momentum rolling as we dive into Wednesday night's 12-game schedule.

Draymond Green played 20 mins and posted seven rebounds and six assists in his return from injury Monday night. The Warriors cruised to their fourth straight victory and fifth straight cover. Call me a contrarian, but I am not buying everything is perfect again in Dub Nation. I am not saying the Warriors won't be in form by the postseason, but the Boston Celtics are a great litmus test for any team.

Golden State's offense looked outstanding facing one of the worst defenses in the NBA on Monday night. Unfortunately, that level of competition against Washington doesn't provide much predictive value. The Celtics' superior defense travels well, stifling opponents at a rate of 105.7 points per 100 possessions in road games. I think they can bottle up Curry enough and test Golden State's depth. Both defenses will bring maximum effort, making the points with the dog even more valuable. The C's are 6-3 ATS in their last nine on the road and have covered in five of their last six trips to the Bay. I will take the points and bank on Tatum keeping them close.

The Wizards are happy to be home after a winless West Coast road trip in which they allowed more than 122 points per game. Before the Warriors scored 73 points in the first half Monday night, Washington gave up over 120 points per game to three bottom-eight offenses. Their 123.4 defensive rating for the month of March is an embarrassing 29th in the NBA. They are also 29th in their last 15 home games, making it very unlikely the hometown crowd sparks a defensive effort against Denver.

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Nuggets MVP candidate Nikola Jokic should beef up his case in a big way. The Wizards allow the fifth-most points to centers, and Denver will be motivated to catch the Jazz and Mavericks in the Western Conference standings. Washington is on a five-game run to the over and has been a sneaky-good offensive team with Kristaps Porzingis. This is a great situational spot to push the over streak to six.

Philadelphia was the big trade deadline winner but has been losers of late ever since the schedule leveled up. The 76ers have lost three of their last five and are desperate to get their Big 3 back on track and that includes Tyrese Maxey. After averaging over 26 points in his first four games with James Harden, Maxey's scoring production dropped to 13.4 points over the last five games. Philly missed his scoring touch, going 2-3 during his struggles.

The trend is clear that the Sixers need Maxey to be more assertive, and Wednesday night's opponent should give him the confidence to do so. Maxey scorched the Cavs for 33 points on 10-of-15 shooting less than two weeks ago. He gets another opportunity against that same Cavs defense. I expect a big push from Joel Embiid and Harden to get him touches, making me comfortable that the second-year guard delivers.

Stats provided by teamrankings.com, evanalytics.com, and nba.com.

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NBA betting: How to bet Celtics-Warriors on Wednesday night - Yahoo Sports