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It's a battle of cross-conference heavyweights when the Boston Celtics (37-15) host the Phoenix Suns (27-26) on Friday evening. Phoenix is coming off a pair of deep playoff runs but has struggled to find consistency this season as the Suns currently sit seventh in the NBA Western Conference standings. Boston, meanwhile, has the league's best record and is two games in front of the Bucks in the East. Devin Booker (groin) and Cameron Johnson (knee) are out for Phoenix, while Marcus Smart (ankle) is out for the Celtics.

Tipoff at TD Garden is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists Boston at -10.5 in the latest Celtics vs. Suns odds. The over/under for total points is set at 220. Before making any Suns vs. Celtics picks, be sure to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 16 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 49-23 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,300. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Suns and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Suns vs. Celtics:

  • Suns vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -10.5
  • Suns vs. Celtics over/under: 220 points
  • Suns vs. Celtics money line: Suns +400, Celtics -550
  • PHO: The Suns are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games following an ATS loss
  • BOS: The Celtics are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games following a straight-up win of more than 10 points
  • Suns vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why the Celtics can cover

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown draw most of the headlines, but Boston has great depth. Point guard Malcolm Brogdon is a key component off the bench for Boston. He is third on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game, and is averaging 18.1 points over his past 10 games. In a 125-121 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, he scored 26 points and grabbed six rebounds in 39 minutes of action. Brogdon has reached double-digit scoring in 32 of the 44 games he has played, and is connecting on 45.1% of his 3-pointers.

Another offensive weapon for the Celtics is point guard Derrick White. He has scored in double digits in each of the last five games, including a 23-point and six-assist effort in a 98-95 loss at Miami on Jan. 24. He is coming off back-to-back 14-point performances in wins over the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets. In 52 games, including 44 starts, White averages 10.4 points, 3.5 assists and 3.2 rebounds.

Why the Suns can cover

Phoenix faces a tough task on the road without Booker, but the Suns certainly have a path to keeping this one within the number. Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Chris Paul are all available for this one and they all average 14.1 points or more. Phoenix has the superior overall record against the spread (28-25) and the Suns are 13-10 ATS against teams with a win percentage higher than .550.

Furthermore, Boston has been far from perfect recently. The Celtics blasted the Nets last time out but they were just 3-3 in their six games prior to that with no covers during that span. They only have one double-digit victory since Jan. 16, so it's certainly far from a lock that the Celtics will win this one by more than 10.

How to make Suns vs. Celtics picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 230 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Celtics vs. Suns? And which side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.