The Celtics swept the Pacers and the Mavericks took care of Minnesota in five games. Now, the two squads are in the NBA Finals after they have dominated all three of their respective series. The Celtics are the favorite to win the series at . Underdog bettors can get the Mavericks for .
Mavericks vs. Celtics Game 1 odds have Boston favored at , with the total at .
The Mavericks' dismantling of the top teams in the Western Conference has been impressive. They have been series underdogs against their last two opponents and have won each series comfortably. They come into the NBA Finals healthy, which is something the Celtics have not had to face yet this postseason.
The Celtics have faced three opponents in the Eastern Conference, each of whom has suffered injury to star players. Granted, the Celtics finished their series against Miami and played their entire series against Cleveland and Indiana without Kristaps Porzingis. The 7-foot-2 center is a game-time decision for Game 1, but with a week between games, most expect him to return. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is on Thursday, June 6, with tip-off at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Mavericks vs. Celtics NBA Finals series price
The Celtics, coming off an Eastern Conference finals sweep over Indiana, begin the series as heavy favorites. Find live NBA Finals odds below.
Mavericks vs. Celtics Game 1 spread, total, moneyline
Check out the live odds for Game 1 of the NBA Finals Mavericks vs. Celtics at the best online sports betting sites:
Mavericks vs. Celtics NBA Finals Game 1 prediction
The Celtics are the favorites in the NBA Finals and they deserve to be after winning more games than any team in the regular season and dominating the playoffs so far. Looking at their playoff résumé, though, the Celtics have had some favorable matchups and played teams struggling with health.
Boston beat the Heat in the first round, with Jimmy Butler missing the entire series. The Celtics won their second-round series against Cleveland, who was missing starting center and second-leading scorer in the postseason, Jarrett Allen, for the entire series, and Cleveland's leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell, missed the last two games. In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics went up 2-0 and the Pacers were without their best player, Tyrese Haliburton, for the last two games of the series as they got swept.
The Mavericks are battle-tested, facing strong competition throughout the playoffs. As the five seed, they have not had a home-court advantage in any series. They beat the Clippers in six games in the first round. Then, they dismantled an excellent Thunder squad and took down the Timberwolves in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
The key for the Mavericks this postseason has been their ability to close out games. The Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving combo has been dynamic in crunch time. Here is a stat to remember: in the Mavs' 12 playoff wins, they have outscored opponents in the fourth quarter six times, tied in the fourth quarter three times and only been outscored three times. Two of the three times they were outscored in the fourth quarter, they came in with double-digit leads.
The Mavericks have had to play their A+ game to make it to the NBA finals, whereas the Celtics have caught some breaks and have an easy path. In Game 1, the Mavericks will pull off the upset and it will be the fourth quarter when they outscore the Celtics, as Luka and Kyrie continue to make big shots when it matters, something the Celtics have not had to do very much this postseason.
Prediction: Mavericks
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Mavericks vs. Celtics series prediction
The one x-factor in this series that could change things is the health of Kristaps Porzingis. If he is 100% and plays in every game that could tilt the series in favor of Boston. A 7-foot-2 center who, in the regular season, averaged 20.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.9 BPG and shot 37.5% from three is a mismatch nightmare for Dallas. Not only that, Porzingis used to play for Dallas, making this a bit of a revenge matchup.
Yet we keep coming back to one thing and that is the Mavericks' late-game close-out ability. Only four of the Celtics' 14 playoff games have had single-digit margins. The Mavericks have had single-digit margins in 10 of their 17 games. They won seven of 10, and that is the difference in the NBA Finals: Dallas' ability to win tight games.
Prediction: Mavericks
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Best bet for Mavericks vs. Celtics series: One or more games to reach overtime (+190)
The NBA Finals will be one of, if not the closest series we have seen in the NBA postseason. The Mavericks have played many close games this postseason and have the clutch players to hit shots to force overtime. The Celtics had an overtime game when Jaylen Brown hit a clutch three to tie the score in Game 1 against the Pacers. With a series we anticipate going at least six games, and with each being very tight, one overtime game seems likely. The value is solid with +190 odds at FanDuel for one or more games to go to overtime.
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