Who’s playing
Boston Celtics @ Denver Nuggets
Current records: Boston 48-13, Denver 42-20
How to watch
- When: Thursday March 7, 2024 at 10 p.m. ET
- Or: Ball Arena – Denver, Colorado
- TV: TNT
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Ticket cost: $74.99
What there is to know
The Boston Celtics will hit the road to face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at 10 p.m. ET at Ball Arena. Both of these teams will experience defeat in a game they were supposed to win.
After an 11-game winning streak, the Celtics’ good fortune finally ran out on Tuesday. They were a bucket away from victory and lost 105-104 to Cleveland. The loss came despite the Celtics leading by 22 with 9:00 left in the fourth quarter.
Despite their defeat, the Celtics saw several players rise to the challenge and perform remarkable actions. Kristaps Porzingis, who nearly escaped a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds, was perhaps the best of all.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets fought the good fight in their overtime game against the Suns on Tuesday, but had a less than desirable result. They fell 117-107 to the Suns. The Nuggets’ loss marked the end of their six-game winning streak.
Like the Celtics, the Nuggets lost despite the results of several players. Jamal Murray led the charge in nearly dropping a double-double with 28 points and nine assists. Peyton Watson’s dreadful 0-5 three-point shooting was less helpful for the Nuggets.
Boston’s loss ended an eight-game road winning streak and improved them to 48-13. As for Denver, their loss ended a three-game home winning streak and dropped them to 42-20.
Thursday’s game is shaping up to be a master class in shooting: the Celtics simply can’t miss this season, shooting 48.7 percent per game. However, it’s not like the Nuggets (currently ranked fourth in field goal percentage) are struggling in that department as they’ve made 49.3 percent of their shots this season. Given these competing forces, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
The Celtics hope to defy the odds on Thursday as experts believe they are headed for a loss.
Odds
Denver is a slight favorite with 1 point against Boston, according to the latest NBA Odds.
The line on this game has moved a bit since it opened, as it started with the Celtics as 1-point favorites.
The over/under is 221.5 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Boston has won 6 of its last 10 games against Denver.
- January 19, 2024 – Denver 102 vs. Boston 100
- January 1, 2023 – Denver 123 vs. Boston 111
- November 11, 2022 – Boston 131 vs. Denver 112
- March 20, 2022 – Boston 124 vs. Denver 104
- February 11, 2022 – Boston 108 vs. Denver 102
- April 11, 2021 – Boston 105 vs. Denver 87
- February 16, 2021 – Boston 112 vs. Denver 99
- December 6, 2019 – Boston 108 against Denver 95
- November 22, 2019 – Denver 96 vs. Boston 92
- March 18, 2019 – Denver 114 vs. Boston 105
