The Boston Celtics will face the Washington Wizards on March 17 (Sunday) at Capital One Arena. This will be the third matchup between the two teams this season, with the Celtics winning the first two.
Preview
Boston is currently first in the league and is the first team to secure their playoff spot this season. They have won eight of their last 10 games and are on a four-game winning streak. The Celtics won their most recent matchup against the Phoenix Suns (127-112). Jaylen Brown scored 37 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Meanwhile, the Wizards are in the last spot in the Eastern Conference with an 11-56 record and are knocked out of playoff contention. They are 2-8 in their last 10 games and are currently on a three-game losing streak. They will play their second game back-to-back on Sunday and are coming off a 127-98 defeat to the Chicago Bulls.
Starting lineup
The Celtics have four players on their injury report, out of whom Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are questionable for the upcoming game. while Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis are out. They will most likely start with Payton Pritchard, Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford.
The Wizards have six players listed on their injury report. Marvin Bagley III, Landry Shamet, Deni Avdija, Tyus Jones, and Tristan Vukcevic are questionable. Isaiah Livers is out for the remaining season. Washington will most probably start with Bilal Coulibaly, Corey Kispert, Jordan Poole, Richaun Holmes and Kyle Kuzma.
Also Read: Rankings of the Top 25 NBA Players by Tiers, March 2024
Prediction
The upcoming contest will be between the best and worst teams of the season. The Celtics have already won the first two matchups against the Wizards and are heavily favored to win the upcoming contest as well. Betting on the Celtics will be a safe and better choice. In addition, the Wizards concede the most points, while the Celtics score the second-most points in the league. The total is expected to go over 232.5 points.
