Nuggets vs Celtics Prediction, Odds & Best Bets | NBA Betting (1/19): Jaylen Brown Makes it Rain

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There are seven NBA games on the schedule for Friday, Jan. 19, including two national broadcasts on ESPN. One of those games pits the Denver Nuggets (28-14) head-to-head against the Boston Celtics (32-9) at TD Garden at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Happy Celtics-Nuggets day.

Tonight, the Celtics host the World Champions at the Garden with a 4-game lead in the East.

One year ago to the day, January 19, 2023, they beat the champion Warriors to take a 4-game lead in the East. pic.twitter.com/nHPe87qOmr

— Sean Grande (@SeanGrandePBP) January 19, 2024

The Nuggets opened up their five-game road trip with an unfortunate 126-121 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. At the same time, the Celtics have their sights set on a fourth victory in a row after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 117-98, behind Jayson Tatum’s team-high 24-point effort.

Don’t be surprised if these juggernauts wind up meeting to decide this season’s champions in June. After all, Bovada currently favors Boston (+130) to win the Eastern Conference Finals while Denver is the +200 favorite to become Western Conference Champions.

Not only is there a massive matchup looming in Beantown, but there are also a ton of betting opportunities. Let’s explore some of them by getting into this Nuggets vs. Celtics betting preview.

Nuggets vs Celtics NBA Betting Tonight (1/19)

Nuggets vs Celtics Matchup Information

• Matchup: Denver Nuggets (28-14, 11-10 Away) vs. Boston Celtics (32-9, 20-0 Home)
• Venue & Location: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
• Date: Friday, Jan. 19, 2023
• Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Nuggets vs. Celtics: ESPN

Nuggets vs Celtics Odds & Spread

Celtics vs. Nuggets odds are courtesy of Bovada as of Friday, Jan. 19 at 9:04 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Nuggets vs Celtics Spread

• Denver Nuggets +7 (-115)
• Boston Celtics -7 (-105)

Celtics vs Nuggets Over/Under

• Over 233.5 Points (-110)
• Under 233.5 Points (-110)

Nuggets vs Celtics Moneyline

• Denver Nuggets (+215)
• Boston Celtics (-260)

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Nuggets vs Celtics NBA Betting Trends

• Denver is 1-6 straight up in its last seven games vs. Boston.
• Boston is 20-0 straight up in its last 20 home games.
• Denver is 1-4 ATS in its last five road games.
• Boston is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games vs. Denver.
• The total hit the Over in four of Denver’s last six games played on Friday.
• The total hit the Over in six of Boston’s last seven games vs. the Northwest Division.

Nuggets vs Celtics Prediction & Pick (1/19)

It’ll be interesting to see if the Nuggets can turn things around on the road tonight. Playing away from home has been a rollercoaster ride for the defending NBA Champions. After an abysmal 5-8 SU start on the road, the Nuggets won six consecutive away games in the middle of December. Unfortunately, they’ve since lost back-to-back road outings since that streak ended.

While Denver is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the best in the league, playing at TD Garden brings a completely different challenge. The Celtics are undefeated in Boston to begin the 2023-24, winning each of their 20 home matchups thus far.

Unsurprisingly, the Celtics are near the top of the list regarding most home statistics. They average the fourth-most points while allowing the fifth-fewest, giving them the best home scoring margin (plus-15.7) in the NBA. That’s without mentioning how the C’s also lead the NBA when it comes to three-pointers made and three-point percentage at home.

The Nuggets, meanwhile, see their offense go from producing 120.6 PPG at home (9th) to 112.0 PPG on the road (19th). Additionally, Denver only covers the spread in 33.3% of road games (27th) compared to 55.0% at home (13th).

Can the Nuggets put their road inconsistencies in the rearview mirror to upset the Celtics tonight?

For reference, the Celtics are 13-7 ATS at home (65.0%, 7th) this season.

Another thing going against the Nuggets is that they haven’t had much success against the Celtics in recent years. Going back to 2019, Denver has dropped six of its last seven meetings with Boston, which includes being held to 104 or fewer points in five of those contests.

Even worse is that the Nuggets are 2-11 SU in their last 13 trips to TD Garden, getting outscored by an average of 6.6 points per game. In fact, Denver hasn’t defeated Boston on the road since a 114-105 victory back on March 18, 2019.

Given how dominant the Celtics have been at home this season, there’s a good chance that trend continues.

Jayson Tatum (above) and the Celtics are 11-2 SU in their last 13 home games vs. the Nuggets.

The Celtics are the right pick to win tonight. They’re the best team in the NBA at the moment and own a flawless record through 20 home games to back it up. The Nuggets won’t make things easy, especially after losing to the 76ers earlier this week, but recent history proves that Boston can take care of Nikola Jokic & Co. at TD Garden.

With that in mind, I’m also taking the C’s on the spread. Again, this is a team that’s 13-7 ATS at TD Garden — one of the hardest arenas to play at for visiting teams — this season. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are 1-3 ATS as road underdogs (25.0%, 29th) and have only covered the spread twice in their last six meetings with the Celtics.

Considering how the Celtics are beating teams by more than five possessions at home thus far, I see another convincing win being in the cards for tonight.

Nuggets vs Celtics Prediction: BOS wins

Best Nuggets vs Celtics NBA Bet: BOS -7 (-105)

Get 50% up to $750 on this pick over on Bovada

Best Nuggets vs Celtics NBA Prop Bet (1/19)

As for the best Nuggets vs. Celtics player prop, I like the value that comes with Jaylen Brown recording over 2.5 three-pointers.

Brown has been solid at the perimeter throughout the 2023-24 campaign, but he’s truly stepped up lately. He’s averaging 2.8 threes on 58.3% shooting over his last five games, finishing with at least a trio of threes made in four of those contests. Additionally, he’s made good on this prop in five of his last six home games, shooting 62.3% from downtown during that stretch.

The Nuggets typically know how to defend the three-ball well, but they just let the 76ers go 15-of-31 (48.4%) from three-point range. With how well the Celtics perform at home, Brown’s in a good spot to hit the Over again.

Best Nuggets vs Celtics Prop Bet: Jaylen Brown o2.5 Threes Made (+135)

Get 50% up to $750 on this pick over on Bovada

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