Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics have won three games in a row, and they now have a real shot at the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with Cade Cunningham (collapsed lung) sidelined for the Detroit Pistons.
On Friday, Boston is a road favorite against a tanking Memphis Grizzlies team that snapped a long losing streak at home against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. While the Grizzlies’ front office likely wasn’t too happy about the win, Memphis scored 125 points against a shaky Denver defense.
Things will get much tougher against Boston, which is fifth in the league in defensive rating, on Friday night.
The Grizzlies have several important players out of the lineup, including star guard Ja Morant (elbow). Meanwhile, Boston has lost just one game (5-1) when Jayson Tatum in the lineup since he returned from a ruptured Achilles.
Can the C’s come through with a cover on Friday night?
Let’s examine the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for this interconference clash.
Celtics vs. Grizzlies Odds, Spread and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread
- Celtics -14.5 (-115)
- Grizzlies +14.5 (-105)
Moneyline
- Celtics: -1200
- Grizzlies: +750
Total
- 227.5 (Over -110/Under -110)
Celtics vs. Grizzlies How to Watch
- Date: Friday, March 20
- Time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: FedxForum
- How to Watch (TV): NBC Sports Boston, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
- Celtics record: 46-23
- Grizzlies record: 24-44
Celtics vs. Grizzlies Injury Reports
Celtics Injury Report
- Max Shulga — questionable
- John Tonje — out
- Nikola Vucevic — out
- Amari Williams — questionable
Grizzlies Injury Report
- Santi Aldama — out
- Ja Morant — out
- Jahmai Masack — out
- Scotty Pippen Jr. — out
- Zach Edey — out
- Brandon Clarke — out
- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope — out
- GG Jackson — doubtful
- Taj Gibson — doubtful
Celtics vs. Grizzlies Best NBA Prop Bet
Note: These prop selections were made before odds were released and are based on past player performance.
Celtics Best NBA Prop Bet
- Jaylen Brown OVER Assists
All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown picked up five assists in Wednesday’s win over Golden State, and he’s now recorded five or more dimes in nine of his last 10 games.
Overall, Brown is averaging 5.1 assists per game, but he’s upped that total to 6.7 per game over his last 10. Even with Jayson Tatum back in action, Brown has handled a major role in the Boston offense.
Memphis is just 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating and opponent assists per game, making this a pretty great matchup for Brown and the potent Boston offense.
Celtics vs. Grizzlies Prediction and Pick
Boston has thrived as a road favorite this season, going 14-7 against the spread, and I think it’s worth a bet on Friday against Memphis.
This is a prime sell-high spot with the Grizzlies, even though they won their last game against Denver. The Grizz are 22nd in the league in net rating over their last 15 games, winning just four of them outright.
On top of that, Memphis is 7-11 against the spread as a home underdog – one of the worst ATS marks in the league this season.
With so many key rotation players sidelined for the Grizzlies, I don’t see them keeping pace with a Boston team that has a legit shot at the No. 1 seed in the East.
The C’s have posted an average scoring margin of +11.2 as road favorites in the 2025-26 season.
Pick: Celtics -14.5 (-115 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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