A long week of waiting is almost over. And so is a long NBA season that tipped off way back in October. We’re down to our final two teams vying for the NBA Championship that tips off on Thursday – the Boston Celtics (no surprise as they were the best team in the league from wire to wire) and the Dallas Mavericks (pretty surprising as they turned things around drastically late in the season). Here are your NBA Finals Game 1 betting odds & picks. Go here for the latest NBA odds.
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NBA Finals Game 1 Betting Odds & Picks
Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics
Tipoff – 8:30 pm EST
TV: ABC
Spread: Celtics -6.5
Total: 214.5
One of the benefits of an extended break before the NBA Finals tip-off on Thursday is that the players get some much-needed rest time to heal their various ailments. Most significantly, Boston Celtics’ big man Kristaps Porzingis is expected to suit up for Game 1 of the Finals after hurting his calf in Game 4 of Boston’s first-round series against the Miami Heat. Even 20-25 minutes of Porzingis a night will help Boston tremendously and lighten the load on grizzled veteran Al Horford.
The underdog Dallas Mavericks and their fans were hoping the time off would have helped star Luka Doncic and his wonky knee and ankle, as well. However, Doncic reports that he’s still going to be hobbled heading into the biggest series of his life. But he averaged 29 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists thus far in the playoffs and hasn’t missed a game, so an injured Doncic is still probably the best player in this series.
This brings us to Game 1 in Boston’s TD Garden on Thursday night. Boston enters the game as a pretty solid -6.5 favorite, with the total set at 214.5. The Celtics have dropped two home games on this playoff run—one to Miami and one to Cleveland—before holding serve against Indiana last round. With all that said, I like the visiting Mavericks, plus the 6.5 points.
That’s not to say I necessarily expect Dallas to win tomorrow night, but I do think they can at least keep the game closer than 6.5 points. Dallas has been steamrolling teams these playoffs – much stronger teams than Boston has faced. And Boston just snuck by the Indiana Pacers despite sweeping them in the series. Only one of the four games against Indiana saw Boston beat this 6.5-point spread.
I’m going to pass on making a play on the total until I see how at least the first game plays out, but 214.5 points seems like a pretty accurate number heading into the game. If you’re looking for a player prop, you can’t go wrong taking Luka Doncic over 31.5 points – he’s topped it in three of his last four games, against a very tough defensive team in the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Best Bets: Mavericks +6.5 (-108); Luka Doncic Over 31.5 Points (-105)
If you’d like even more info to help make your NBA Finals bets, check out the NBA Gambling Podcast. They’re dropping episodes five days a week to make you the smartest guy/gal at the bar.
