Celtics vs. Nets 2021: Betting Odds, Prediction, Schedule For Playoff Series

The No. 2 seed Brooklyn Nets and No. 7 seed Boston Celtics face off in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. It’s one of the few playoffs series that is clearly one-sided.

Who’s Favored?

Brooklyn is expected to roll through Boston and advance to the second round. The Nets are overwhelming -1050 favorites to win the series at FanDuel Sportsbook. The Celtics have +630 odds to pull off a massive upset.

Players To Watch

The Nets’ Big 3 have only played together in eight games this season, and the team has looked virtually unstoppable during those brief minutes. Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving all averaged at least 24.6 points and 5.6 assists per game for the season. The Celtics need a big series from Jayson Tatum to have any chance of being competitive. Boston’s only healthy All-Star scored 50 points in the play-in victory over the Washington Wizards.

Series Schedule

Brooklyn hosts Boston in Game 1 Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. The series moves to Boston on Friday night. The start times for Games 5-7, if necessary, haven’t been determined yet.

Prediction

With their starting lineup in flux for most of the season, the Nets still managed to finish just one game out of the No. 1 seed. The Celtics had a .500 record, and the injury to Jaylen Brown eliminated any chance Boston had to put a scare into Brooklyn.

Nets sweep Celtics