For the first time in over a decade the city of Boston will host an NBA Finals game. The series returns after the clubs split games in San Francisco with each winning by double digits. The Boston Celtics did their part stealing homecourt advantage with a blistering fourth quarter display in Game 1. And the Golden State Warriors did their job with a dominant third quarter to win Game 2. The Warriors are the betting favorite to hoist the O’Brien Trophy despite Boston going 41-14 in all games since late January. And the Celtics hit the board as a 3.5-point favorite in the pivotal Game 3.
Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics will air live on ABC with tip off at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 from TD Garden. BookMaker.eu will have betting options for every game of the NBA Finals.
NBA Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu
Golden State Warriors +3.5
Boston Celtics -3.5
Total 212
Playoff Analysis
Neither team has lost back-to-back games during the playoffs so if the trend continues Boston will win Game 3 and the series. The Warriors will have something to say about that, though, and trends are always busted. If the Dubs are to break that trend they’ll have to play better on the road than they have this postseason. While they are 13-5 that success came when wearing home whites. The Warriors rebounded from their first home playoff loss by trouncing Boston 107-88 on Sunday covering the 4.5-point line while playing UNDER the closing total. They dropped three of their last four road games with two of them by double digits. And they had problems by their standards on the road during the season going 22-19. They did beat the Celtics in Boston back in December with Steph Curry dropping 30 in a 111-107 triumph.
There’s always been this mystique about playing in Boston with the Celtics enjoying an overwhelming homecourt advantage on the parquet floor. That hasn’t exactly been the case this postseason with the Celtics just 5-4 SU and 4-5 ATS. It will be nice for the Celtics to finally play a home since it’s been a few weeks. They finished off the Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final in Miami on May 29 and then traveled to the Bay Area to open the Finals. It’s been nearly two weeks since they last played a home game so maybe all those troubles from the Miami series are behind them. Boston dropped two of three to the Heat at the Garden but made up for it by winning three times on the road.
Golden State Warriors
Playing a more physical game on Sunday the Warriors were able to take Boston away from its game plan. Credit Draymond Green for being the instigator and leading a defensive effort that thwarted any plans of a Celtics sweep. With their flashiness and Stephen Curry dropping threes, it’s easy to forget that Golden State can play smothering defense. They had the second-best defensive rating to Boston during the season and it helped them even the series.
The Dubs turned a close game at halftime into a rout holding Boston to 38 percent shooting and forcing 18 turnovers. While they’ve been susceptible with their lack of size, the Warriors held a 40-24 advantage in points in the point with Kevon Looney making all six of his shots. Getting Klay Thompson into a groove will improve Golden State’s chances. Thompson was 1 of 8 on threes in Game 2 and is shooting 30 percent from the floor in the series.
Boston Celtics
To get an idea of how things change from game to game look at Boston’s stats. They were on fire in Game 1 shooting 51 percent while making 21 of 41 triples. And they got little help from Jayson Tatum, who was just 3 of 17 from the field for 12 points. Those numbers took a severe dip in Game 2 with a collective 38 percent field goal shooting and 18 turnovers. Al Horford scored 26 points in the opener with Derrick White adding 21 and Marcus Smart 18. The trio combined to shoot 64.7 percent and 65.2 percent from behind the arc.
You can’t expect that kind of production every game but the trio should be better than what it was in Game 2. Horford and Smart each had two points while the three made a total of four field goals. Somewhere in between will be good enough for the Celtics and getting Tatum untracked will help. You can also expect the Celtics to get some calls they didn’t get in Game 2 that led to their blowout loss.
Warriors at Celtics NBA Odds Pick
There’s no reason to doubt Boston after their Game 2 loss. They’ve been the best team in the league since late January winning over 70 percent of their games and they’ve been able to regroup following a loss in the playoffs. And returning home after a lengthy stretch will benefit them in this important matchup.
NBA Odds Prediction: Boston Celtics -3.5 / UNDER 212
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
