The Boston Celtics host the Sacramento Kings over the holiday period, and here take a look at their Friday night match up in our Thanksgiving NBA betting picks.
Boston are sitting pretty at the top of the Eastern Conference after their impressive start to the season. The Milwaukee Bucks are second, 1.5 wins behind. As for the Sacramento Kings, they sit fifth in the Western Conference. This conference looks far tighter, with the Phoenix Suns currently leading the way with 11 wins from 17 matches.
In the latest betting to win the 2023 NBA Championship, the best NBA finals betting sites make the Celtics their +500 betting favorites.
| 2023 NBA Championship Winner Odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Golden State Warriors | +800 | +700 | +800 |
| LA Clippers | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Phoenix Suns | +800 | +900 | +800 |
| Brooklyn Nets | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +1400 | +1300 | +1400 |
| Dallas Mavericks | +1800 | +1500 | +1800 |
| Denver Nuggets | +1800 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | +2000 | +1800 | +2000 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +2000 | +1800 | +1800 |
Boston are just ahead of second place Milwaukee Bucks, who are +600, with the Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, and Phoenix Suns next, all locked together on +800. The Kings are +5500.
It’s a hell of a good time to be a Boston sports fan. The Bruins are riding high in the NHL, and the Celtics are also top of their conference in the NBA. So, can Joe Mazzulla’s team continue to build on their excellent start to the season against the Kings?
Well, form suggests they can. In their last 10 matches, the Celtics have a 9-1 record. While over the course of the season, they are 14-4. Two matches ago they came unstuck against the Bulls, losing 121-107 in Chicago, but they bounced back, like all good sides do, with a win over the Dallas Mavericks (125-112) on Wednesday night.
Before that loss, the Celtics had won nine straight matches. You had to go back to November 1st for the last time they lost, 114-113, away to the Cavaliers. And even that match needed overtime.
Notable wins in the nine match winning streak include a 123-119 win over the Bulls (who have defeated the Celtics in two of their three matches so far this season), and the 109-106 away win against the Grizzlies.
Apart from those wins, in fairness, the others were matches you would be expecting a team of Boston’s caliber to win.
As for the Kings, well they’ve just had an excellent seven game winning run ended by the Hawks on Wednesday. The Hawks led 72-57 at the half-way point, and try as they might, the Kings couldn’t close the gap enough to prevent their winning run from coming to an end, eventually losing 115-106.
Prior to that the Kings had been outstanding. Standout results in their seven match winning streak include their 153-121 win over the Nets just over a week ago at the Golden 1 Center, and their 122-115 win over the Warriors on November 13th.
The best NBA betting sites think the Celtics are going to win, as on the handicap line they have handed Sacramento a +7.5 points start. The Celtics at -7.5 points are -110, and with a +7.5 points start, the Kings are also -110.
On the total points line, the spread is 235.5 points. Over 235.5 is -110, and under 235.5 is also -110. These odds are taken from BetOnline. You can read more about this sportsbook, including details of their new customer offer, at our BetOnline sportsbook review.
So, the first question is, do we think Boston are going to continue their excellent start to the season with a Thanksgiving weekend win? Personally, I do. But the second question is, will they beat the handicap spread?
I do believe that the Kings have had the harder fixtures in recent weeks, but the Celtics have the advantage of a home fixture, coupled with the feel good factor of a holiday crowd.
Taking all of that into consideration, I believe that makes the Boston Celtics to win on the handicap spread a good value pick.
Now, what about the total points spread? I like to count back five matches for each team when I’m assessing this market. In the case of the Celtics, they have beaten the spread in two of their last five matches. Only on one occasion have they convincingly topped 235.5 points, and that was in the 126-122 match against the Thunder.
As for the Kings’ matches, they have topped 235.5 points on three occasions in their last five outings. The two times they didn’t beat that points spread was in their last two fixtures, but in two of the matches that did top the mark, they absolutely destroyed it. The matches in question were the 153-121 win over the Nets, and the 137-129 win over the Pistons.
I’ve a nagging feeling that this spread just might be beaten, but I’m sticking with the statistics, and I’m gonna make under 235.5 points my pick on the total points market.
About the Author
Dean is primarily a fan of English football who regularly attends games, and combining his hobby with his job, he is now a full-time sports betting writer. Rather than going down the educational route into sports journalism, Dean learned his trade by writing for his English football betting website since 2009, where he now boasts nearly 15 years of experience. After writing about football daily for years, Dean has taken the skills he learned and now uses them to great effect writing for numerous affiliate sites across the internet. A general all-around sports enthusiast with a passion for English football and cricket, Dean is also well able to turn his hand to writing about golf, tennis, F1, boxing, snooker, darts, and North American sports. Combining his extensive knowledge and experience with British humor and wit, Dean has developed into a trusted voice within the sports betting industry.
Read Dean's ProfileAsk Dean about this guide: