The Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics eased their way through the conference finals setting up a NBA Finals matchup that had a week of hype. There is no shortage of superstar talent, which is why the clubs are the last two standing. Boston had the best team during the regular year and lost just twice in the first three playoff rounds. The Mavs slayed three of the Western Conference’s top four seeds and they are 7-2 on the road this postseason. So, there are plenty of betting options in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June to build a winning NBA parlay.
The Celtics hit the board for Game 1 of the NBA Finals as a 6.5-point home favorite. If the number stands it would be the lowest in a Boston playoff game this season. Boston closed as a betting favorite of at least 7 points in all 14 games with the number reaching double-digits eight times. Boston failed to cover in its last two against Indiana and in five of the previous six games. The Celtics won the two regular season meetings covering the spread both times, and they are unbeaten with payouts in each of the previous four encounters with Dallas.
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2024 NBA Finals Game 1 Parlay Picks
Boston -6.5
Dallas / Boston OVER 214.5
Jayson Tatum OVER 37.5 Points + Rebounds
Bet $100 to win $650
I’ve actually had decent success on my picks and parlays this NBA postseason and I’ll look to continue that in Game 1. Having more than a week off between games can negatively impact a team in a heated playoff drive, but the Celtics’ Al Horford said earlier that the down time is a “luxury” and the team will embrace it. Of course for a guy pushing 40 like Horford that added rest is invaluable. However, neither side really has an advantage since the Mavs have had nearly the same amount of time. Boston swept Indiana in the Eastern Conference Final while Dallas eliminated Minnesota in the West in five games.
It’s hard to pick on a team that won 64 regular season games and is 11-2 in the playoffs. But the Celtics’ only losses came at the Garden where they are 6-2 SU and just 4-4 ATS this postseason. They also didn’t have to face Jimmy Butler in the first round win over Miami and saw Cleveland’s leading scorer Donovan Mitchell sit out the final three games of the second round series. Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton exited in the second half of Game 2 of the East final and missed the rest of the series. So, there has been some good fortune for Boston yet they’ve still managed to win behind an efficient offense.
Out of the lineup since the first round, Kristaps Porzingis is eyeing a return on Thursday. He played only 57 regular season games averaging more than 20 points helping a historically efficient Boston offense. And he will create matchup problems for Dallas. But the Celtics revolve around Jayson Tatum, who has vowed to make amends for a poor NBA Finals two years ago in a loss to Golden State.
Tatum is averaging more than 40 minutes, 26 points and 10.4 rebounds in the playoffs, and he figures to be a more central figure if the game is closer than most have been for the Celtics. With his points + rebounds set at 37.5 I like the OVER in this prop, especially since Tatum has exceeded that number in each of his last five games and he also had a pair of monster outings helping the Celtics sweep the season series.
The deadline acquisitions of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford helped transform Dallas’s defense. However, I do like this game to be a matchup of Boston stars Tatum and Jaylen Brown against Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who can all score the basketball. Both teams cashed the OVER in five of their last six playoff games and went well over the total in Boston’s 138-110 inside the Garden in March.
NBA Schedule for Thursday, June 6
Dallas at Boston, 8:30 p.m. ET / ABC
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