Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Pick: Can Luka Doncic, Mavericks Keep NBA Finals Game 1 Close?
The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks meet in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight. Can Luka Doncic and the Mavericks keep NBA Finals Game 1 close? Ben Rajavuori provides his best Mavericks vs. Celtics betting pick.
Ben Rajavuori - June 6, 2024, 4:51 PM EDT
5 minDallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics Betting Pick: Can Luka Doncic, Mavericks Keep NBA Finals Game 1 Close?
The Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks meet in Game 1 of the NBA Finals tonight from the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics, who entered the playoffs as the favorite to win the championship, look like they are in control to win this year as the -225 favorites on FanDuel to win the championship. The Celtics have gone through the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers to get here in the Finals against the Mavericks.
MAVERICKS VS. CELTICS GAME 1 DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: June 6, 2024
- Start Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where to Watch: ABC
DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. BOSTON CELTICS GAME 1 PREDICTION
The Mavericks are definitely the more surprising team out of the West. They beat the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round, were able to get past the number one-seeded Oklahoma Thunder in the second round, and then beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in just five games in the Conference Finals. Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic have looked unstoppable, but the Mavericks will be climbing a very uphill battle against the Celtics in the Finals if they want to win a championship.
The duo of Luka and Kyrie have been nearly unstoppable in these playoffs. They are scoring a combined 51.6 points per game and I’ve also been facilitating the offense with 14 combined assists per game. Minnesota, regarded as one of the best defenses in the NBA this year and in the playoffs, had no answers for either when it came down to the clutch moments of each game. While the Celtics do have a good defense as well, they will have to come up with a pretty good plan to keep this team slowed down considering the only game they lost in the Timberwolves series is the one that Dereck Lively couldn’t play in.
The Celtics have also looked unstoppable as of late and swept the Pacers in four games. Although, it was not quite as easy as it looked, even though it only took four games. Game 1 went to overtime on a prayer three from Jaylen Brown and they were able to escape that game. Then they had some clutch moments in Games 3 and 4 and won by just three points in each game. The only game the Celtics actually had complete control of was Game 2. The Mavericks may have been able to see some weak points in that series that they can exploit in this one, as Jason Kidd has made some excellent mid-series adjustments during these playoffs.
However, another adjustment Kidd will have to count for is the return of Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis went down in game four of the Miami Heat series and has not been able to play up until now. With the help of some extended rest between the Conference Finals and Finals, Porzingis will be returning for Game 1. This is a huge addition for the Celtics, as the former Maverick brings a unique aspect of offense as a 7‘ 2" center. He has excellent three-point shooting and can really stretch the floor for the Celtics, which is a problem the Mavericks will have to attack. The Mavericks have been underrated for a lot of these playoffs. The Mavericks have been underdogs in seven total games in the playoffs so far, sporting a 6-1 against the spread record as underdogs. Many people, including myself, thought Minnesota would give Dallas some trouble, but they looked nearly unstoppable in that series. When it comes down to it, Luka and Kyrie have been so good in the clutch moments of these games, and that will be the X factor in this series, especially against the spread.
The Mavericks are getting 6.5 points tonight, which gives them a little bit of a buffer at the end of the game should it be close. I do believe the Mavericks can give the Celtics a good fight in this series, which starts in Game 1, given that Luka has had some extra time to rest as he was banged up for these playoffs with a right knee sprain and left ankle injury. On top of all that, the Celtics may have a quick adjustment as Kristaps is thrown back into the starting rotation after being out for most of the playoffs. Therefore, the Mavericks keep Game 1 and cover the spread tonight.
DALLAS MAVERICKS VS. BOSTON CELTICS GAME 1 Betting PICK
Pick: Mavericks +6.5 -110 CLICK HERE TO SEE WHICH SPORTSBOOK HAS THE BEST ODDS
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