The deluge of injuries to star players continued on Friday when the Utah Jazz lost Donovan Mitchell to an ankle sprain. All tests came back negative and it seems Mitchell will miss some time with a minor injury, but the scare is one we have become used to at this point. It is pretty clear the compact nature of this second-half has compromised the quality of play, as players continue to battle through countless injuries.
Handicapping the NBA on a daily basis is always a battle of information on who will be available and who will not, but lately it has become extremely daunting. On Thursday, bettors watched the line for Milwaukee and Atlanta toggle back-and-forth as Trae Young and Giannis Antetokoumpo’s statuses were reported throughout the day. Yesterday, both the Clippers and Trail Blazers had injuries to stars that greatly altered the lines in their respective contests.
This league is hard enough to attack as it is, but the nature of the compact schedule has made it even more challenging. With 16 games left and less than a month to go don’t expect it to get any easier.
Updated odds every game can be found here.
Updated injury reports for every game can be found here.
*Indicates team is on the second leg of a back-to-back.
The Main Event
Golden State Warriors at Boston Celtics (-5, 227.5)
Golden State and Boston are two of the hottest teams in the league right now, but something has to give tonight at TD Garden. The Warriors have won four straight and are 5-1 SU and ATS in their last six games with a league-leading + 12.1 net rating over that stretch. The Celtics have won five straight and are 7-1 SU/5-2-1 ATS in their last eight with a + 9.3 net rating. Both teams are in the thick of the playoff races in their respective conferences as well, so this contest carries a lot of weight for both teams.
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