NBA Playoffs Game 7 bets – Celtics vs. Wizards winner & line tips

Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 10am AEST, TD Garden, Boston, watch on ESPN

Eastern Conference Semi Final series tied at 3-3

Washington Wizards: $2.61 with Sportsbet.com.au

Boston Celtics: -192.31 with Sportsbet.com.au

MANY thought the eastern conference semi final NBA playoff series between the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards had seven games written all over it.

And it has proven to be true, with both teams holding serve on their home floors, leading to a do or die Game 7 clash in Boston.

And the excitement is palpable, with both teams firing shots on and off the floor, trading blows – literally – as they have fought this series out to a stalemate that will be broken tomorrow morning.

The Celtics claimed the first two games of the series with relative ease – a pair of double digit victories having many fearing this could be a very quick result.

But the Wizards went home and turned things around, shredding the Celtics with back to back wins of 19 or more, including 116-89 hammering that had some believing point God John Wall should be the league MVP.

But a trip to Boston handed the ascendancy back to the Celtics thanks to a 22 point blow out, before the Wizards again had to fight tooth and nail to restore parity in Game 6.

In a topsy turvy clash, with lead changes and ties throughout, the Celtics fought back from a five point quarter time deficit to put themselves within striking distance of closing out the series.

But Wall had other ideas, erasing a two point margin with a huge three pointer that put the dagger in the Celtics’ collective hearts and gave them a 92-91 win, sending the series back to Boston for the decider.

Wall’s game winning trey capped off a 26 point, eight assist night – perhaps his quietest of the series – the win largely propelled by back court running mate Bradley Beal’s 33 point explosion.

Marcus Morris – who has also been a serious influence on the series – had 16 points and 11 boards for his second double double of the match up.

Boston guards Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley also lit things up in the back court, both draining 27 points, Thomas adding seven dimes as he orchestrated the offence, while Bradley’s came on a very efficient 10 of 18 from the field and was laced with four steals as he locked down on the Wizards.

Al Horford’s 20 continued his re-emergence after many wrote him off as a spent force during the Bulls series, but the Celtics had almost no help off the bench – which provided just five points to the Wizards’ 13.

Really though, neither side runs very deeply into the bench, with four of the five Wizards starters playing 36 minutes or more, and ditto the Celtics.

Wall’s series has been one for the ages and he only needs one more big one to set up a date in the Eastern Conference finals with LeBron James and the unconquerable Cleveland Cavaliers, but the tickets just might be spent.

Thomas is a stone cold killer and there is no better for him to dole out his mini, but mighty brand of execution than in front of a rabid crowd. His home fans will be expecting something special and you’d be a fool not to think he can deliver yet again.

Betting predictions

Game results: Boston Celtics to win ($1.52 with Sportsbet.com.au)

Line betting: Boston Celtics -5 (-105.26 with Sportsbet.com.au)

Total game score: Over 209 (-109.89 with Sportsbet.com.au)

While we’d love to pick the underdog here and we are all John Wall homers, the simple fact is that the Wizards can’t play on the road, while the TD Garden is a comfort blanket for the Celtics who just get the job done in front of their home fans. The Wizards took an aforementioned game winning three pointer from Wall to get the job done on their home floor in Game 6 and we think they have fired their final shot in this series. It’s been a commendable effort from the lower seeded team, but we reckon the Celtics are about to claim this war of attrition, given that the Wizards find it so hard to win away from home. Look for Wall and Beal to dominate as they have done all series, but the Celtics will be too strong in Boston and may even blow them off the floor. As far as the points go, we reckon the bookies have been scared off by the low scoring thriller in Washington. There was a total of only 183 points scored in that game – well short of the 209 line set by Sportsbet.com.au – as both teams struggled with their shots. But the pace and scoring of these two teams has been off the chart in every other game of the series – especially in Boston where every game has elapsed 220 points. While the stakes are dire and that can sometimes lead to a dour defensive struggle, we don’t think it will happen in two straight games. the Wizards are best when they run and gun with Wall and Beal leading the charge and the Celtics can more than match it with them up and down the floor, with Thomas running the show. Whatever happens here, the winner is basketball, having witnessed the ascendancy of Wall into perhaps the best point guard in the NBA, along with the continued rise of Thomas as a force in the NBA and the emergence of Beal as a genuine second option on a contender. Happy punting.