The fourth-seeded Washington Wizards will try to finally get over the hump and earn a win in Game 3 of their second-round playoff series against the top-seeded Boston Celtics on Thursday as solid home favorites. The Wizards came close to picking up their first victory in Game 2 on Tuesday but blew a late lead in regulation and ended up losing 129-119 to the Celtics in overtime.Point spread: The Wizards opened as five-point favorites; the total is at 219, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark(line updates and matchup report)NBA betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 110.6-109.9, Celtics (NBA picks on every game)Why the Celtics can cover the spreadTwo words: Isaiah Thomas. Bostons starting point guard erupted for 53 points in Game 2, making 18-of-33 shots from the field, including 5-of-12 from beyond the three-point arc.As good as Washingtons John Wall is, Thomas has been the better player so far. Wall has not been able to contain him at all, especially from long distance, where Thomas has connected on 10-of-23 shots (43.5 percent). Thomas has also gotten to the free-throw line a lot, making 18-of-20 shots there through the first two games.Why the Wizards can cover the spreadThe Wizards struggled vs. the Atlanta Hawks on the road in the first round, too, but still found a way to defend their home court perfectly with three wins straight-up in three games (2-1 against the spread). They won both regular-season meetings with the Celtics at home, going 2-0 ATS as small favorites in the two games.In addition, Washington is 5-2 SU in the past seven home meetings in the series to go along with a 4-2-1 mark ATS dating back to 2014.Smart betting pickThis is one series where it would not be surprising to see the home team win every game SU and ATS. The Wizards played well enough to win Game 2 outside of the last two minutes and 43 seconds in regulation when they were outscored 10-4. Mentally and physically, that had to be a tough defeat to take.While Boston has been a good road team, Washington is 25-19 ATS at home on the Vegas odds and will get back into this series with a big win in Game 3.NBA betting trendsBoston is 5-0 ATS in its last five games.Boston is 5-1 ATS in its last six games on the road.The total has gone over in four of Washington's last six games.All NBA lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Reports official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
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