Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns 12/19/18: Starting Lineups, Matchup Breakdown, Odds, Daily Fantasy, Betting
Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns Preview
The Boston Celtics (18-11) welcome the Phoenix Suns (7-24) into TD Garden tonight. The last time these two teams played, it was a shootout between guards Kyrie Irving, who scored 39 points, and Devin Booker, who had 38.
The Suns have been dead last in the Western Conference for most of the season and also had the worst record in the league, but Booker is now back and the Suns have won their last three games, over the Knicks, Timberwolves, and Mavericks. This comes after the Suns had dropped 10 straight.
The Celtics, meanwhile, had their eight-game winning streak stopped by the Detroit Pistons and were left vulnerable inside without Al Horford.
TV Schedule
Date: 12/19/18
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Arena: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Channel: NBA TV
Boston Celtics Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Kyrie Irving |
| SG | Marcus Smart |
| SF | Jayson Tatum |
| PF | Marcus Morris |
| C | Al Horford |
Celtics Analysis
The Celtics seemed like they were making a run at the top three in the Eastern Conference until they met the upset-minded Detroit Pistons. With Horford out, the Pistons’ frontcourt tandem of Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond feasted. Griffin finished with 27 points and eight rebounds, while Drummond dominated the boards with 20 rebounds to go along with 19 points.
The Celtics had good performances from their main role players in that game but struggled on the bench with Gordon Hayward, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier all combining for just 11 points.
Being back home should fare well for the Celtics, as they’ve only dropped three games at TD Garden all season.
The Celtics will have to make a concerted effort at stopping Booker, so look for Brown to get some extended minutes off the bench.
Celtics Quick Links: Celtics Starting Lineup, Celtics Roster, Celtics Depth Chart, Celtics Injuries, Celtics News, Celtics Schedule
Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup
| Position | Starter |
|---|---|
| PG | Tyler Johnson |
| SG | Devin Booker |
| SF | Mikal Bridges |
| PF | Josh Jackson |
| C | DeAndre Ayton |
Contents
Suns Analysis
The Suns and coach Igor Kokoškov have been looking for solutions all season, and getting Booker back certainly helps matters.
Booker has shown zero signs of rust. He scored 28 points against Minnesota in his first game back and followed it up with a 38 point, seven rebound performance against the Knicks.
Booker commented after the game that the Suns are building, and one of the pieces they’ll be building with is Kelly Oubre, who they acquired from the Washington Wizards in a trade for veteran swingman Trevor Ariza. Oubre sounds excited for a fresh start with the Suns and being part of a young lineup with players he knows well.
The Suns have wings for days now, with Booker, TJ Warren, Mikal Bridges, Josh Jackson, Troy Daniels and now Oubre, but the Suns like long-limbed wings who can slash and play multiple positions, so I don’t foresee Oubre getting lost in the shuffle.
Suns Quick Links: Suns Starting Lineup, Suns Roster, Suns Depth Chart, Suns Injuries, Suns News, Suns Schedule
Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns Betting Odds
The Celtics are -11.5 favorites to win tonight’s game in TD Garden. The over/under is set at 219 points, and the moneyline is live at -900 for the Celtics and +550 for Phoenix.
The road has not been kind to the Suns, who are 31-106 for a win percentage of 22.6 percent.
Boston is 11-48 at home and 155-62 as the favorite.
Odds & Line Movement Links: Boston Celtics vs. Phoenix Suns, Vegas Odds (All NBA Games Today)
Bet on Matchup
If you’re in Pennsylvania, you can bet on this matchup. Sports betting is legal in PA. Our top rated online sportsbook bonus offers can be found in our articles: Fanduel Sportsbook promo code, DraftKings Sportsbook promo code & Pointsbet promo code.
DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Picks
Irving and Booker are the stud selections for tonight’s matchup. The pair, who both had big games last time they faced off, are expected to duel again tonight. Irving, available for a FanDuel salary of $9,000, is projected to rack up 40.34 points. Booker (FD-$8,600), who has been a scoring machine since his return, is projected for 39.46 points.
Small forward Jayson Tatum is a value for fantasy owners with a salary of $6,700 and a fantasy projection of 31.43 points. Oubre is expected to be another big bang-for-buck value with a salary of $4,600 and projection of 34.89 points.
Find all of our Fanduel and Draftkings projections here: https://www.lineups.com/nba/nba-fantasy-basketball-projections.
