Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Preview
Game one of the NBA Finals between the 5th-seeded Mavericks and the top-seeded Celtics is set for 8:30 PM ET on Thursday, June 6th. The game will be televised on ABC, with the Celtics favored by -6.5 points. The over/under is 214.5 points.
Check out BetCoco for Boston Celtics – Dallas Mavericks odds
Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Head-to-Head and Key Stats
In the last three games between Dallas and Boston, the Celtics have dominated the series, going 3-0. This includes a convincing margin of victory of 22 points per contest. Across the last three head-to-head matchups, Boston is averaging 127 points compared to Dallas at 105.
- The Mavericks are 3-0 ATS in their three last road games and 3-0 straight-up.
- In their last ten games at home, the Celtics have a straight up record of 8-2 while going 4-6 vs. the spread. The team averaged 107 points per game in this stretch.
- As the betting underdog, the Mavericks have an ATS record of 5-0 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 5-0.
- The last ten games that Boston was favored, they have an ATS mark of 4-6 while going 9-1 straight up.
Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction
The Mavericks are coming off a 124-103 win over the Timberwolves, a win that clinched the series in five games. The Mavericks won the series 4-1 and picked up the win in Minnesota. In the game, the over/under line was 209.5, and the teams combined for 227 points.
Offensively, the Mavericks were led by Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic, who each scored 36 points. Doncic also added 10 rebounds and hit six threes on 60% shooting. As a team, the Mavericks hit 15 threes and shot 54.8% from the field.
The Celtics picked up a 105-102 win over the Pacers to close out the series in four games. Boston took the series 4-0 and picked up the win on Indiana’s home floor. The combined 207 points in the game fell short of the over/under line of 222.5 points.
Offensively, the Celtics were led by Jaylen Brown’s 29 points. Brown knocked down four threes on 50% shooting from beyond the arc. Jayson Tatum added 26 points and 13 rebounds for Boston.
As the Mavericks look to extend their road winning streak to six games, they are 6.5-point underdogs against the Celtics. This season, Dallas has gone 18-20 as the underdog and has covered the spread in five straight games as the underdog.
In terms of their ATS record on the road, the Mavericks are 34-16 compared to 25-24 at home. On average, they have outscored their opponents by 1.5 points per game on the road.
This season, the Mavericks have gone 46-53 on the over/under, and their games have averaged 229.8 points per game. Today’s O/U line is set at 214.5, and 87 of their games have had higher O/U lines than that.
Dallas is coming off a 124-103 win over the Timberwolves, where they were 4.5-point underdogs. The teams combined for 227 points, and the O/U line for the game was 209.5.
Currently, the Mavericks are 5th in the Western Conference with a record of 50-32. Against other Western Conference teams, they are 31-21 and 11-5 in their division.
Dallas comes into the game as one of the league’s top three-point shooting teams, in terms of both attempts and makes. They are 4th in attempts, getting up 39.5 shots per game, and have hit an average of 14.6 threes per contest. Overall, they are 13th in three-point shooting percentage. The Mavericks are also 11th in field goal percentage, at 48%.
Luka Doncic is averaging 32.4 points per game in his last five games on a shooting percentage of 47.3%. In these games, he hit 4.6 threes per contest. For the season, he is averaging 33.9 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds. Kyrie Irving is averaging 25.6 points per game for the season and 27 points per game in his last five games.
On the season, the Mavericks are 16th in points allowed per game at 113.6. In their last five games, they have been even better, ranking 5th in points allowed at 105.6. So far, opponents have scored more than their season average 61.0% of the time vs. the Mavericks.
One area where Dallas has been solid is in defending two-point shots. They are 10th in two-point shooting percentage allowed at 53.8%. On the year, they are 16th in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 36.5%. In terms of steals, they are 25th in the league at 6.9 per game.
Overall, the Mavericks are 13th in field goal percentage allowed at 47.1%. They have been solid on the glass, ranking 15th in defensive rebounds per game. In terms of blocked shots, they are 13th in the league at 5 per game. In terms of fouls, they are 20th in the league.
The Celtics are favored by 6.5 points today and have gone 7-0 as the favorite. Overall, they are 74-18 as the favorite this season and have won their last seven games as the favorite. As the favorite, they are 46-42 ATS with an average scoring margin of +11.8 points per game.
In their last game, the Celtics beat the Pacers by a score of 105-102. The O/U line for that game was 222.5, and the teams combined for 207 points. This improved Boston’s record to 64-18, which is the best in the Eastern Conference.
This season, the Celtics have an O/U record of 51-44-1, and their games have averaged 227.3 points per game. Today’s O/U line is set at 214.5, and 86 of their games have had higher O/U lines.
The Celtics are 48-44 ATS this season, including an ATS record of 26-21 at home. They have covered the spread in three straight home games and have an average scoring margin of +14.4 points per game at home.
For the season, the Celtics are the NBA’s top three-point shooting team, both in terms of three-point shooting percentage and three-pointers made per game. They are averaging 16.5 made threes per game. Overall, the Celtics are 7th in field goal percentage, at 48%.
Jayson Tatum has averaged 29.2 points per game in his last five games, on 47.7% shooting. In this stretch, Jaylen Brown has put up 26 points per game, while hitting 51% of his shots from the field. Jrue Holiday is averaging 17.4 points per game for the season and has hit 42.9% of his threes this year.
When it comes to defense, the Boston Celtics have been one of the best units in the NBA this season. They are currently ranked 3rd in points allowed per game at 108.1. Over their last five games, they have given up 109.8 points per game which is 13th in the NBA during that span.
One area where the Celtics have been particularly strong is at the free-throw line. On the season, they are giving up just 16.6 made free-throws per game which is the best mark in the league. Over their last five games, they have been even better, allowing just 11 made free-throws per game which is the 2nd best mark during that span.
When it comes to three-point shooting, opponents have made 12.7 threes per game against the Celtics this season which is 14th in the NBA. However, they have done a good job of limiting three-point attempts, allowing just 36.2 per game which is 21st in the league.
The Celtics enter this game as 6.5-point favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 153-152.
Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Betting Tips
- Take the Celtics on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Mavericks (+6.5)
- Projecting a combined 305 points, we like the over
Boston Celtics Injury Report
- Kristaps Porzingis – Calf – Probable
Dallas Mavericks Injury Report
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper – Ankle – Out
