NBA Betting Picks: Celtics vs Trail Blazers Odds

The 1st place (Atlantic) Boston Celtics (34-10) will start a four game road trip tonight in NBA odds when they travel to take on the 4th place (Northwest) Portland Trail Blazers (25-21) on Thursday evening at 10:30pm EST when they battle at the Rose Garden for the second game on TNT’s basketball schedule. The Heat vs Knicks will also tip-off on TNT basketball but will be played earlier at 8:00pm EST from MSG. Online sportsbooks have opened with the Celtics -5 road favorites in NBA betting picks vs the Trail Blazers with an over/under total of 183. Sportsbooks also favor Boston -210 in money line NBA odds vs Portland +180 for Thursday night’s game on TNT.

The Celtics had won five straight games before falling on the road to the Washington Wizards 83-85 last Saturday. However Boston was able to rebound with a 112-95 win back at home vs the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday and just barely covered the spread as 16.5-point favorites in NBA betting picks to go 21-21-2 ATS for the season. The Celtics have won four straight games in NBA odds vs the Trail Blazers and hoping that the return of Kendrick Perkins will make it five straight on Thursday night. Perkins had been out of the line-up since last year’s NBA finals with a torn anterior cruciate ligament but hit the floor on Tuesday night vs the Cavaliers to net 7-points and 6-rebounds in 18-minutes.

Perkins is still in the process of getting back his fitness but should have plenty of time to do so vs Portland with Jermaine O’Neal and Shaquille O’Neal on the bench. Portland also was on a nice winning streak having won five in a row before falling to the Sacramento Kings 81-96 at home on Monday night. It was an embarrassing 15-point loss at home and the Trail Blazers and didn’t even come close to covering the spread as 7.5-point underdogs in NBA betting odds to go 22-21-3 ATS for the season. That being said, Portland has gone a miserable 1-4 when playing the Celtics at the Rose Garden and will be without the services of Brandon Roy and Marcus Camby who are both suffering from knee injuries. The Trail Blazers are hoping that LaMarcus Aldridge will be able to dress tonight vs Boston since having an MRI on his hip Tuesday which returned negative results for any cartilage damage.

NBA Betting Picks: Boston Celtics -5