The Boston Celtics (62-18) will try to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season when they face the Charlotte Hornets (20-60) on Friday night. Boston is coming off back-to-back losses against Milwaukee and New York, but it has already clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics cruised to a 118-104 road win over the Hornets at the beginning of the month. Charlotte is coming off a 115-114 win at Atlanta on Wednesday, but it has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday at TD Garden. Boston is favored by 8 points in the latest Celtics vs. Hornets odds, while the over/under is 217.5 points, per SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Hornets 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 25 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 83-58 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,200. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Charlotte vs. Boston. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the game:
- Celtics vs. Hornets spread: Celtics -8
- Celtics vs. Hornets over/under: 217.5 points
- Celtics vs. Hornets money line: Celtics -323, Hornets +256
- Celtics vs. Hornets picks: See picks here
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston has already clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but that did not stop the Celtics from playing all of their stars on Thursday. They ultimately came up short against the Knicks, but it could be a sign that they will not rest their starters on Friday. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has not officially announced whether his top players will be on the court for this game.
Charlotte has been one of the worst teams in the league throughout the season, and it is playing without multiple key players due to injuries. The Celtics have won seven of the last eight games between these teams, covering the spread in five of the last seven matchups. They are also 13-1 in their last 14 home games and are 12-1 in their last 13 home games against Charlotte.
Why the Hornets can cover
Charlotte has won two of its last four games, pulling off upsets against the Magic and Hawks. The Hornets were 13-point underdogs in a 124-115 win over Orlando last Friday, and they were 8-point underdogs in a 115-114 win over Atlanta on Wednesday. Star rookie Brandon Miller had 27 points against the Hawks, shooting 5 of 11 from 3-point range.
Power forward Miles Bridges leads Charlotte with 21.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, while Miller is adding 17.4 points. The Celtics have clearly lacked motivation so far this week, dropping games against the Bucks and Knicks. They have already clinched their spot as the top seed in the conference, which has led to a 2-6-1 mark against the spread in their last nine games. See which team to pick here.
How to make Celtics vs. Hornets picks
The model has simulated Hornets vs. Celtics 10,000 times and the results are in. The model is leaning Over, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in almost 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Hornets, and which side of the spread hits almost 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Hornets vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 83-58 roll on top-rated NBA picks this season, and find out.
