Utah Jazz (114) Vs. Boston Celtics (122) At TD Garden
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Good afternoon gamblers, it's Sam Quinn covering for Chris Bengel (and Tom Fornelli!) on this Tuesday. With one of the craziest men's NCAA Tournaments in the books as of last night (congrats, UConn), it's time to fully turn our focus back to the NBA. I have three solid plays for you tonight, headlined by a matchup of two of the best teams in the East.

Let's make some money.

All times Eastern, and all odds via Caesars Sportsbook


🔥 The Hot Ticket

Celtics vs. 76ers, 8 p.m. | TV: TNT

  • Key Trend: Boston has covered against Philadelphia in each meeting this season.
  • The Pick: Celtics +2.5 (-110)

Boston is undefeated against Philadelphia this season at 3-0, and while they may be dealing with a few injuries, we have evidence that it shouldn't be too much of an issue. In February, the Celtics beat Philly without their top three front court players.

The stakes are slightly higher for Boston in this one, as their blowout win over the Bucks last week gave them a slim chance at the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Philly is almost certainly going to be No. 3, so given Boston's impressive history against Joel Embiid, the Celtics with the points offer nice value against the 76ers.

Here's what SportsLine is saying about the game: SportsLine's simulation model is not crazy about the spread but does have a B grade lean on the Over/Under.


💰 The Picks 

NBA: Los Angeles Lakers at Chicago Bulls
USATSI

Lakers vs. Jazz, 9 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV

The Pick: Lakers -9.5 (-110) -- Utah might've taken the first two games of the season series, but the Jazz were an entirely different team back then. Two of Utah's best players at the time are now Lakers, and most of the rest of them are now injured.

The latest injury casualty? Top rookie Walker Kessler. Utah's only rim-protector is currently in the NBA's concussion protocol. Without him, the enormous Lakers are going to be able to get the basket at will. The Lakers still have plenty to play for with an outside chance at earning the No. 5 seed in the West. Utah is just winding down the clock on its season, so expect a comfortable Lakers win in this one.

Spurs vs. Suns, 10 p.m. | TV: NBA.TV

The Pick: Spurs +19 (-110) -- San Antonio has been surprisingly competitive lately. While this is hardly an accomplishment in the grand scheme of things, only five of their past 18 opponents would have covered this enormous spread. I'm fine taking San Antonio to cover here even with five players out due to injuries.

On the other end, Phoenix has only one 19-point win in Kevin Durant's six appearances. As imposing as the Suns are, asking a team as mid-range-heavy as they are to win by 20 against anyone is no easy task purely from a mathematic standpoint. The Suns are designed to keep games close and pull away late, not thrash weak opponents. The Suns should win, but San Antonio should cover.

🔒 SportsLine Pick of the Day: If you'd rather bet on MLB tonight, a pair of SportsLine experts agree on this pick for Red Sox-Pirates.