The Boston Celtics (57-16) travel to play the New Orleans Pelicans (45-28) in a cross-conference battle on Saturday evening. The Celtics are looking to get back on track after dropping two straight games. On Thursday, the Atlanta Hawks topped Boston 123-122 in overtime. Meanwhile, New Orleans has won three of its past four games. The Pelicans beat the Bucks 107-100. Brandon Ingram (knee) is out for New Orleans.
Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. Boston is the 6-point favorite in the latest Celtics vs. Pelicans odds via SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 223. Before entering any Pelicans vs. Celtics picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer 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 23 of the 2023-24 NBA season on a sizzling 77-50 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,500. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Pelicans. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for the Pelicans vs. Celtics game:
- Celtics vs. Pelicans spread: Boston -6
- Celtics vs. Pelicans over/under: 223 points
- Celtics vs. Pelicans money line: Boston -244, New Orleans +197
- BOS: 37-33-3 ATS this season
- NO: 41-31-1 ATS this season
- Celtics vs. Pelicans picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Celtics can cover
Forward Jayson Tatum is the Celtics’ top offensive option. He ranks sixth in the NBA in scoring (27.3) with 8.2 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Tatum scored 30-plus points in five of his last seven games. On Thursday versus the Hawks, he had 31 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
Guard Jaylen Brown is Tatum’s running mate. Brown explodes to the rack and has the athleticism to consistently blow past defenders. The former California standout logs 23.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. On Mar. 22 against the Pistons, Brown finished with 33 points, four rebounds and four assists. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Pelicans can cover
Forward Zion Williamson is an athletic force. The Duke product averages a team-high 22.8 points with 5.8 rebounds and five assists per game. He also shoots 58% from the floor. On Tuesday versus the Thunder, Williamson notched 29 points, five rebound and 10 assists.
Guard CJ McCollum score from all three levels with ease but also gets his teammates good shot attempts. He logs 18.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. In his last outing against the Bucks, McCollum totaled 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Pelicans vs. Celtics picks
The model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 221 combined points. It also says one side of the spread is the better value. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins Celtics vs. Pelicans, and which side of the spread is the better value? Visit SportsLine now to see the picks, all from the model that’s on a sizzling 77-50 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
