Thunder vs Celtics Picks | 03-12-26 | Online Sports Betting

What: Boston Celtics at Oklahoma City Thunder
Where: Paycom Center
When: 9:00 PM EST, Thursday, March 12, 2026

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will host the Celtics with a chance to make history on Thursday night. The soon-to-be back-to-back NBA MVP can break Wilt Chamberlain's record for consecutive 20-point games, but he'll have to do it against the best defense in the league.

Will SGA secure the record and a Thunder win or will Boston come up big on the road? Let's look at the latest game lines. Odds are subject to change.

	Spread	Money Line	Total Points
Boston Celtics	+6.5 (-110)	+210	Ov 217.5 (-110)
OKC Thunder	-6.5 (-110)	-255	Un 217.5 (-110)

Boost Your NBA Picks

Before wagering on Thunder vs Celtics, check out the best NBA online betting sites to ensure you are getting the best bets available. You can also use sportsbooks reviews 2026 to find a betting site for your basketball betting picks. And if you're new to the world of online sports betting, don't fret about being in over your head. There are plenty of how-to tips in our handy sports betting guide.

SGA for MVP?

Oklahoma City is 6-0 since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander came back from an abdominal strain that sidelined him for nine games. On Sunday, the superstar point guard nailed a step-back 3-pointer with 2.7 seconds left to lead the Thunder to a 129-126 victory over the rival Nuggets, finishing with 35 points and a career-high 15 assists.

126 STRAIGHT 20+ POINT GAMES 🚨

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has tied Wilt Chamberlain's all-time record! pic.twitter.com/Y9chBIJ33p

— NBA (@NBA) March 10, 2026

Tatum is back but will he play?

Jayson Tatum is listed as questionable to play on Thursday night with “right Achilles repair reconditioning.” It would be the first game he's missed since coming back from injury. Tatum had 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting, 12 rebounds and seven assists in his return to the lineup last Friday, leading the Celtics to a 120-100 win over Dallas.

In his last outing on Tuesday, Jayson Tatum scored 24 points in 27 minutes in a 125-116 loss to the Spurs. Jaylen Brown was ejected in the defeat after being called for two technical fouls.

Thunder vs Celtics key stats

Oklahoma City (51-15) is first in the Western Conference, 2.5 games up on the Spurs, while Boston (43-22) is 3.5 games back of the Pistons for first place in the East. These are also two of the best defenses in the NBA, with the Celtics allowing opponents to average 100.4 points and Thunder opponents scoring 106.9 points per game.

OKC is 27-7 straight up at home but they're covering less than half the time (15-18). Meanwhile, Boston is 22-12 on the road straight up and against the spread, covering at a league-best 64.7% rate.

12 FIRST QUARTER POINTS FOR JAYSON TATUM 🔥

This guy tore his achilles 300 days ago 😅 pic.twitter.com/yqfiGOKdE2

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 8, 2026

OKC Thunder vs Boston Celtics Picks

Without knowing the status of Jayson Tatum, it's difficult to make a pick, but what the hell... we'll take the Celtics +6.5 because they've been the best team on the road all season without their franchise player. Let's combine that with the UNDER 217.5 for good measure.

Boston Celtics to cover vs OKC