Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

Any hopes the San Antonio Spurs had of ending their five-season NBA playoff drought were suddenly dashed last month when news of Victor Wembanyama's shoulder injury broke.

The French superstar is unlikely to play again this season and the Spurs have seemingly accepted their fate, losing 12 of their 20 games in his absence and falling to 13th in the Western Conference.

Their season is over and finishing lower in the standings could actually be their aim, with a poorer record potentially landing them a higher draft pick.

With motivation at a low, it is hard to see anything other than a demolition when the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics arrive at the Frost Bank Center on a seven-game winning streak.

Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs betting picks and predictions

Boston Celtics -12.5 (-110)

It is hard to trust the Spurs without Wembanyama and backing them to keep things close against one of the NBA’s strongest teams becomes near impossible when factoring in that their second-best player, De’Aaron Fox, will also miss out on Saturday. 

Without their two best players, a +12.5 line looks far too great for San Antonio to cover and there are enough statistics to suggest that would have been the case even if Wembanyama and Fox were available. 

The Celtics were struggling to replicate their championship-winning form from last term in the early part of this campaign, but they are beginning to hit form at just the right time, with the playoffs just around the corner. 

Joe Mazzulla’s side have won seven straight games and the nature of their last four victories is especially noteworthy.

The Celtics’ last four wins have come by point margins of 22, 13, 18 and 30, suggesting they are in their frightening, free-scoring form which should see them sweep aside the Spurs with ease. 

The last of those wins came against a Phoenix Suns side which included Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.

The fact they were able to land a blowout against such a talented side should have the Spurs worried, as should the detail that Boston’s last four meetings with San Antonio have seen them win by at least 13 points. 

Kristaps Porzingis over 19.5 points (-120)

While the Spurs’ sharpshooting giant is out through injury, the Celtics’ own free-scoring big man is in fine form.

Kristaps Porzingis has averaged 24.4 points per game across his last five matches and his efficiency has been exceptional. The Latvian center knocked down 58.3 per cent of his field goals in those games, including 40 per cent of his threes. 

The Celtics star was utterly dominant in the pair’s meeting in Boston earlier in the season, putting up 29 points, and he is in the perfect form to shatter a 19.5 points line on Saturday. 

Derrick White over 4.5 assists (-115)

Porzingis is not the only Celtic to have shown improvement in recent weeks, as Derrick White has been in great form, especially in a playmaking sense. 

White has averaged 6.3 assists per game across his last 10 matches - well above his season average of 4.5 - and he will be relishing this trip to Texas to take on a team he loves playing. 

The Celtics guard has averaged 5.8 assists in his previous four appearances against the Spurs and notched nine when the pair met in Boston last month, suggesting he should have no issues in clearing a 4.5 line at the Frost Bank Center.

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Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs odds

Boston Celtics	-700 ML
San Antonio Spurs	+500 ML
Spread	Celtics -12.5
Total Points	O/U 228.5

Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs player props

Player Points

Jayson Tatum (BOS Celtics)	O/U 25.5
Jaylen Brown (BOS Celtics)	O/U 19.5
Kristaps Porzingis (BOS Celtics)	O/U 19.5
Stephon Castle (SA Spurs)	O/U 18.5
Devin Vassell (SA Spurs)	O/U 17.5
Derrick White (BOS Celtics)	O/U 14.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.