NBA picks: Jaylen Brown key to Nuggets vs. Celtics same-game parlay for Wednesday, Jan. 7
Here's a three-leg same-game parlay for Nuggets vs. Celtics on Wednesday featuring one of the league's best scorers
Two recent NBA champions meet on the hardwood on Wednesday, Jan. 7 as the Denver Nuggets visit the Boston Celtics, though both teams are without their best player due to injury. The 2023 NBA champs won't have Nikola Jokic because of a knee issue that will keep him out for at least a month, while the 2024 champs don't have Jayson Tatum for the whole season due to an Achilles injury he suffered in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. These two sides are hoping to get back to the Finals in 2026 and sit near the top of their respective conferences. The Nuggets are coming off a win over the 76ers despite missing most of their starters, while the Celtics have won four in a row.
Denver has listed Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Christian Braun and Tim Hardaway Jr. as questionable, with Murray and Hardaway Jr. expected to return after sitting Monday. Gordon and Braun are still working through injuries and are considered day-to-day, though both played Sunday before sitting the second game of the back-to-back set. Boston is intact.
The Celtics are 9.5-point favorites in the latest SportsLine consensus odds and the consensus total comes in at 231.5. We've put together a same-game parlay for Nuggets vs. Celtics using recommendations from the SportsLine Projection Model, with odds from DraftKings Sportsbook.
Nuggets vs. Celtics NBA same-game parlay picks
- Celtics -9.5
- Over 233.5
- Jaylen Brown Over 30.5 points
Celtics -9.5
Boston covers this spread in 68% of simulations, good for a "B" grade play, according to the model. The Celtics are an excellent team at home, and even if the Nuggets do get some key players back, this is a tough matchup for them. While the Nuggets are 4-1 ATS as road underdogs, they are just 12-9 ATS on the road overall. Boston is 13-10 ATS as a favorite, 9-7 ATS at home and 6-6 ATS as a home favorite. This line will likely get closer if Denver's starters are available.
Over 233.5
Even with Jokic and Tatum out, these are two of the best offensive teams in the league. The Nuggets are scoring 124.4 points per game, and while the Celtics are averaging just 117.8 points per game, Boston is second in offensive rating behind Denver. The Over hits in 63.8% of model simulations, also good for a "B" grade.
Jaylen Brown Over 30.5 points
Brown went for 50 points in a win over the Clippers, but he's actually gone Under this particular line in three of the last four games. He's hovering right around the 30 points per game average, and the SportsLine model projects him at 30.1 points in Wednesday's game. However, given the likelihood Denver's top players are back and how well the backups played, this should be a relatively close game for much of the contest. That means more minutes, shots and points for Brown, who is due for a monster showing.
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