Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks-The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks are facing off in the NBA Finals, with Game 1 next. The Celtics match up with the Mavericks in a game that Boston is currently a heavy favorite by 6.5 points. Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks-The basketball game has an over/under of 214.5.
See everything you need to know about the Celtics-Mavericks game, from point spreads, moneylines, total over/unders and expert picks, as well as TV channel and streaming information.
Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks game info, TV channel and odds
When: Thursday, June 6, 2024 at 8:30 PM ET
Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
TV: ABC
Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Predictions
ATS Pick: Celtics (- 6.5)
O/U Pick: Over (214.5)
Score Prediction: Celtics 120 – Mavericks 109
Mavericks PG Luka Doncic under 31.5 points (-115)
Doncic will be making his first NBA Finals appearance. He had a strong playoff run, rolling in 28.8 points (PPG), 9.6 rebounds (RPG), 8.8 assists (APG) and 1.6 steals (SPG) through 17 postseason contests.
His goal score for points in Game 1 is slightly higher. Yes, he balled out against Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals, averaging 32.4 ppg in 5 games, equaling his regular-season average of an NBA-best 33.9 ppg. . However, facing the Celtics is a whole other animal.
During the regular season, Boston allowed just 109.2 ppg, which ranked 5th in the NBA, while limiting opponents to 45.3% from the field (2nd in the NBA) and 35.2% from behind the 3-point line (4th).
Doncic certainly isn’t going to lay eggs, but scoring more than 30 points against the Celtics is a bit ambitious. People will look at his 35.0 ppg average against Boston in 2 regular-season games to argue against going under, but the regular season and postseason are completely different. Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks-These games were not on the world’s biggest stage.
Doncic averaged 34.0 ppg in 2 regular-season games against OKC but was held to 24.7 ppg in 6 games against the Thunder in the Western Semifinals. So, there it is.
Celtics SF Jayson Tatum Over 2.5 3-Pointers (-136)
Tatum is a good bet to hit at least 3 triples in Game 1 because he enjoys a bit of home cooking.
He is looking to avenge an NBA Finals loss in 2022 with his 1st-career appearance. Tatum hit 20 3-pointers in 6 games in that Finals. He has that experience to tap into and is the favorite to win Finals MVP at -125; Doncic is 2nd at +210.
The Mavericks were just as good on guard against the 3 during the regular season, allowing teams to hit 36.8% from behind the arc, 18th in the NBA.
Tatum sank 8 triples in the last 2 games of the East Finals sweep over Indiana, hitting at least 3 in each of those outings.
1st-quarter total points under 55.5 (-122)
Total O/U for Game 1 is set at 215 (O: -110 | U: -110). While the Celtics are in the NBA Finals in 2022, again, there are only a few holdovers. Outside of SG Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks don’t have much experience in the Finals either.
Look for these teams to slowly get their sea legs even after a long layoff. Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks-There will be butterflies. There will be rust. Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks-That’s a good recipe for a slow start, and a low score in the opening 12 minutes.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Mavericks SG Kyrie Irving to record 4+ assists (-240).
It’s not recommended as a stand-alone bet, as risking 2.4 times your potential bet provides very little in terms of value to expect Irving to get at least 4 assists.
However, this bet is great for Same-Game Parley (SGP) with all other props. Irving had at least 4 assists in 5 games against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Finals. Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks-Also, he had 4 or more dimes in 14 of his 17 games this postseason, including 8 of his last 9.
Mavericks SF Derrick Jones Jr. to record 1+ steals (-105)
At nearly even-par, it’s a solid play. This is the prop that can make or break an SGP, although it is a coin-flip.
However, Jones had 3 steals in the Minnesota series and has had at least 1 steal in 5 of his past 9 postseason games. He averaged 33.0 minutes per game in the Western Conference Finals, Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks-and his quick hands are more than enough to get you on board.