Warriors vs Celtics NBA Finals Betting Prediction and Odds Game 1
Warriors vs Celtics NBA Finals Predictions and Betting Preview
WagerTalk NBA handicapper Andy Lang offers his Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics NBA Finals preview for Thursday, June 2. At the time of posting, the home Warriors are a 3.5-point favorite against the road Celtics with the total sitting at 212.5 points.
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| Thursday, June 2 | NBA Finals Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | Golden State Warriors -3.5 vs Boston Celtics |
| Total: | 212.5 Points |
| Game Time: | 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT |
| Arena: | Chase Center in San Francisco, CA |
| TV: | ABC |
Warriors vs Celtics Analysis
The Boston Celtics invade the Chase Center for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.
The Warriors handled their business against the Dallas Mavericks in five games after overcoming the Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets.
The Celtics edged out the Miami Heat in Game 7 to advance to the Finals after beating the Milwaukee Bucks in seven games and sweeping the Brooklyn Nets.
The road team prevailed in both regular season matchups with the Warriors winning 111-107 in Boston and the Celtics winning 110-88 at Golden State. Opening tip is scheduled for 9:00 PM EST/6:00 PST.
Celtics Enjoy Underdog Role
The Boston Celtics are back in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010, however this group has been to the Eastern Conference Finals three times in the past four seasons.
The Celtics have been taken to the brink in Game 7 against both the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks after sweeping the Brooklyn Nets in the first round.
Boston went to Miami for Game 7 and fought off a late rally to come away with the victory. They were led by Jayson Tatum who had a 26 point and 10 rebound double double. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart both added 24 points, while Al Horford snagged 14 rebounds.
Tatum has paced the Celts with an average of 27 points per game in the post-season. Boston is shooting 45.4% from the field and 36.2% from beyond the arc in the playoffs.
The Celtics are basically healthy outside of Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III playing through injuries. This young group has finally made a run and they are hungry to carve out a potential dynasty of their own.
Warriors Dynasty On The Line
The Warriors are back in the Finals for the first time in four years as they are finally healthy again. It’s been relatively smooth sailing as they beat the Denver Nuggets in five games, the Memphis Grizzlies in six games and the Dallas Mavericks in five games.
In the deciding Game 5 against Dallas, Klay Thompson led the way with 32 points, while Andrew Wiggins had an 18 point and 10 rebound double double.
Kevon Looney also had a double double with 10 points and 18 rebounds. The Warriors have been led mainly by Steph Curry in the post-season as he averaged 25.9 points per game in the playoffs.
During the post-season, Golden State has shot 49.3% from the field and 37.9% from long distance. The Warriors will be without James Wiseman, while Andre Iguodala & Gary Payton II are questionable and Otto Porter Jr is likely to play.
This will be the 6th trip to the NBA Finals for the Golden State Warriors in eight years with them winning three championship trophies.
Warriors vs Celtics Prediction
The Golden State Warriors enter Game 1 as 3.5 point favorites with a total of 212.5. It’s been relatively smooth sailing for the Warriors, while Boston has had to overcome adversity several times during the post-season.
However you could also argue the Warriors haven’t been tested, Nuggets missing pieces, young Grizzlies with a banged up Ja Morant and the Dallas got rid of Phoenix for them.
The head-to-head defensive matchups will be interesting, mostly centered around who will guard Curry and who will take advantage of his poor defense. The side is tough decision, however the total could offer some value.
Both teams are great offensively and can knock down shots with the best of them. While the Celtics rank 24th and pace and the Warriors rank 15th some of that could be mitigated by their lights out three-point shooting.
Boston will likely be forced to up the tempo if the Warriors jump out to a lead due to their perimeter shooting. I’m backing the over in Game 1.
Prediction: Over 212.5
NBA Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his NBA Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Thursday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s Warriors vs Celtics playoff contest.
NBA Tip-Off Show
Join Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of professional handicappers for the NBA Tip-Off Show every Monday-Friday at 4:15pm ET / 1:15pm PT as we discuss tonight’s marquee games. Stay up-to-date on the latest NBA news, stats, analysis, and predictions with our panel of pro sports bettors as they preview the Warriors vs Celtics NBA Finals clash.
WagerTalk NBA Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all Warriors vs Celtics NBA Finals games, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
Andy Lang has lived in Indianapolis his whole life, and like most people from the Hoosier State, he became fascinated with motor sports. That interest in motor sports turned into a desire to make money off the sport through fantasy contests and sports betting. Like most, he took his lumps when he first got started, but now he is one of the most respected NASCAR bettors in the industry. Andy has expanded that sports betting experience to become profitable in a number of other sports, transforming this interest from a side hobby to a major source of income.
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