We have a matchup of two of the NBA’s premier teams tonight when the Boston Celtics (43-22) roll into the Paycom Center to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder (51-15).
The Thunder are 7.5-point favorites on the spread on PrizePicks Team Picks for the first of two meetings this season between two title contenders. Celtics vs. Thunder tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET on Prime Video.
Below, we’ll break down our Celtics vs. Thunder prediction and Thursday NBA picks for PrizePicks. Use PrizePicks NBA to make picks on player projections and win real money if you’re right.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Celtics vs. Thunder Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Celtics are in the midst of a late push for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They’ve cut the Detroit Pistons' lead from 5.5 games to just 3.5 games over the last week, and an upset win tonight could help make that top seed dream more of a reality.
Boston's been led all season by All-NBA First Team candidate F Jaylen Brown. Brown is averaging career highs in points (28.3), rebounds (7.1), and assists (5.1), with the latter two stats showing real growth in his game. So far in March, he's increased both averages to 7.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists.
The Thunder are an absolute freight train, fueled by MVP favorite PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He's missed 12 games this season, while OKC's second-best player, F-G Jalen Williams, has missed 40. Despite that, they still have the best record in the NBA and may repeat as champions.
A prediction of “Yes” on the Thunder to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the second time in two seasons returns a 2.38x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks.
Celtics vs. Thunder Spread, Over/Under
The Thunder enter Thursday’s game as 7.5-point home favorites, returning a 1.33x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Celtics are road underdogs with a 3.03x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: Oklahoma City Thunder -7.5 (2x payout)
- Over/Under: 216.5 (1.81x payout on over)
- Game Winner Payout: Celtics 3.03x | Thunder 1.33x
Team Picks payouts are live as of writing and are subject to change.
Celtics vs. Thunder Injury Report
Let’s dive into the full Celtics vs. Thunder injury report for Thursday, via NBA.com.
Boston Celtics Injury Report
- G Payton Pritchard (neck): Probable
- SG Baylor Scheierman (thumb): Available
- F Jayson Tatum (Achilles): Questionable
- C Nikola Vucevic (finger): OUT
- G Derrick White (knee): Questionable
Oklahoma City Thunder Injury Report
- C Branden Carlson (back): OUT
- C Isaiah Hartenstein (calf): OUT
- F-G Jalen Williams (hamstring): OUT
Celtics vs. Thunder Prediction on Spread – 3/12/26
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Celtics vs. Thunder prediction on the spread for Thursday, March 12, on PrizePicks.
- Despite their straight-up dominance, the Thunder are just 31-35-0 (47%) against the spread (ATS).
- The Celtics are 22-12-0 (64.7%) ATS on the road, the best road cover percentage in the NBA.
- Over their last 10 games, the Celtics have the fifth-best net rating (+9.9) in the NBA, 3.4 points better than the Thunder, who are 10th over that same span.
- Even taking the full season picture into consideration, the Celtics are still second in the NBA in net rating (+7.9), just 2.9 behind the league-leading Thunder (+10.8).
- Boston has an advantage on the glass in this matchup. For the season, they're fourth in rebounding percentage (52.1%). That's miles ahead of the Thunder, who rank 25th (48.7%) and are without a starting C in Hartenstein.
Celtics vs. Thunder Picks for PrizePicks Today: 3/12/26
Here are two of the top Celtics vs. Thunder to consider for Thursday, March 12, on PrizePicks. Today’s NBA picks for PrizePicks are headlined by F Jaylen Brown and PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Celtics F Jaylen Brown vs. Thunder Projection: 36 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Brown averages 40.5 points, rebounds, and assists (PRA) per game. On the road, that number increases to 42.1 PRA.
- The main reason for that increase is that Brown puts up 1.5 more points per game on the road thanks to improved efficiency from 3-point land (36.5% away vs. 33.1% at home).
- The Thunder allow opponents to take 38.9 3-pointers per game, the sixth-most in the NBA.
- Excluding the last game, when he was ejected in the second quarter, JB has had more than this projection in every game since the All-Star break.
{{nba_offer_banner="/style-system/ui-components-playbook"}}
Thunder PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Celtics Projection: 43.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Shai puts up 42.8 PRA per game At home, that number increases to 44.1.
- In his two outings vs. Boston last season, the reigning MVP went for 34-5-7 (46 PRA) and 33-11-6 (50 PRA).
- The Celtics give up 39 3-pointers per game, fifth-most in the league.
- SGA is shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc, the second-highest 3-point percentage of his career.
Make Celtics vs. Thunder Picks on PrizePicks
Two of the top teams in the NBA meet up in Oklahoma City tonight for what should be a thrilling game, but Celtics vs. Thunder picks aren’t the only way hoops fans can get in on the daily NBA action.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Stick around with the Playbook for continued NBA predictions, picks, and news.
