Jazz vs Celtics

NBA odds, picks, and predictions for the Boston Celtics at Utah Jazz on March 18. NBA betting best bet and free pick analysis.

This is going to be a pace-up spot for an offense that has been historically very strong on the second night of back-to-backs. That’s not even mentioning the fact that the Celtics are on the second night of a back-to-back here, and shorthanded on top of that. Their defense is still second-best in the NBA over the last seven games and should have no problems handling Utah. The Jazz have been coming on strong lately with four straight wins ATS, though it should be said they’ve lost five of seven and have been covering against some underachieving teams. A four-point spread may seem short, but this team will be hurting with Williams out and the duo of [NBA betting trends](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/matchup/trends/271086) for Celtics vs. The big man has also hit this Over in three of his last four, so I’ll go ahead and back him for a big night. With that said, only 74% of the handle is on Boston over at Surprisingly, the team has leveled itself in the rebounding department, which means I don’t necessarily want to attack Boston with a player combo or rebounding prop. [Malcolm Brogdon](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/players/10134/malcolm-brogdon) and [Payton Pritchard](https://www.covers.com/sport/basketball/nba/players/5408/payton-pritchard) looking unlikely to play. Meanwhile, the Jazz seem to be safely in the play-in tournament but also must avoid a late-season collapse. [NBA picks and predictions](https://www.covers.com/picks/nba) for Celtics vs.

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However, the Jazz are a team in pain. The Celtics are a tired team. The Celtics are playing their 11th game of the season on no rest. The Celtics will cover the spread if they can score early and give their bench a chance to produce. The Celtics come into this game with a record of 49-22 and are the second-best team in the Eastern Conference. However, their recent struggles highlight a problem they must vanquish if they are to make a return to the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, the Jazz come into this game with a record of 33-36 and are currently tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference. The Jazz shot 47.8 percent from the field and 42.2 percent from the triples. The Jazz lost despite dominating the boards 48-37. Substantially, the Jazz entered the final quarter embroiled in a tie with the Heat. The Jazz lost 119-115 to the Miami Heat in their last game on Monday. The Celtics dominated the Portland Trailblazers, defeating them 126-112.

After coming out on top against the Portland Trail Blazers, the Boston Celtics have made it two wins in a row and three of their first four of a six-game ...

In their last two games, the Celtics have found a way to win, but now, they need to remember how to dominate. So, beating Utah is their best chance of ensuring they head back to Boston with a winning record, regardless of how things go in Sac-Town. Defensively, the Celtics should look to have a similar mentality. Therefore, the Celtics should be well-positioned to take away one of Utah’s primary offensive weapons and force them into some uncomfortable situations. Now, Joe Mazzulla and his team will have to avoid a trap game if they want to secure a winning record on their final road swing of the regular season. Furthermore, missing a host of rotation players should be another reason for the Celtics to play hard — after all, there are playoff minutes to earn and rotations to solidify.

That difficult final stretch for the Jazz (33-36) includes a home-and-away set vs. the Celtics (49-22), two games against the Sacramento Kings (42-27), and ...

They are 1 1/2 games behind Milwaukee for the top record in the East and the NBA. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and are on the verge of clinching a playoff spot. 4 seed and are just 2 1/2 games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers, who occupy the 13th spot in the conference. Two teams have been eliminated in the West -- the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs -- and Denver is sitting in the No. The Jazz are two games out of the final assured playoff berth. "No one's really out of it right now at this point in the Western Conference."

The Celtics clinched a playoff spot Saturday night, but their loss to the Jazz dropped them to third place in the Eastern Conference standings.

[Robert Williams III](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/robert-williams-iii) and [Al Horford](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/al-horford), but the Celtics should've been prepared for this kind of effort from the Jazz on the boards. His ability to stretch the floor and hit 3-pointers at a 37 to 40 percent rate, in addition to playing quality defense against wing players, makes him a valuable part of the Celtics' rotation. He did get stuffed at the rim on the final play of the game, but overall it was a positive performance for him. 4 in the league in second chance points per game and No. They eliminated the Bucks in Round 2 with a Game 7 victory at the Garden. The Celtics had a 19-point lead in the first half, and they also led 117-113 with 1:19 remaining in the game. [clinched a playoff spot](https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/celtics-officially-clinch-nba-playoff-spot-ninth-straight-season) Saturday night as a result of the Miami Heat's loss to the Chicago Bulls. The Celtics were all alone in first place just a few weeks ago, but they've lost six of their last 11 games. But the final 10 games won't be easy for the Celtics. The No. How important is the No. The Celtics' road trip resumes Tuesday night against the Kings in Sacramento.

The Boston Celtics take on the Jazz in Utah on March 18 -- and Hardwood Houdini has your injury report, starting lineups, TV channel, and predictions.

Can the Utah is currently the No. On March 18, the Cs have a strong chance to run their win streak to three with a matchup against the Jazz.

Absent from Saturday night's tilt will be point guard Collin Sexton, who, reportedly, is expected to miss another week with the hamstring injury that has ...

The Celtics clinched a playoff spot Saturday night, but their loss to the Jazz dropped them to third place in the Eastern Conference standings.