The Boston Celtics will look to take another step toward enhancing their winning legacy on Thursday when they host the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. The Celtics, who have long been the sportsbook betting favorite to win the NBA Finals, rolled through the Eastern Conference playoffs while absorbing just two losses. They are currently tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for most NBA titles with 17 but haven't won a championship since 2008. However, the surging Mavericks, who grinded their way to the NBA Finals as the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, are determined to collect their second title in franchise history.
Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET from TD Garden. Boston is a 6.5-point favorite and the over/under for total points scored is 214.5 in the latest Celtics vs. Mavericks odds from the SportsLine consensus. Before making any Mavericks vs. Celtics picks for Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, be sure to check out what legendary handicapper Bruce Marshall has to say.
Marshall, who for years was synonymous with the Gold Sheet, a famed sports betting newsletter, is an in-demand guest on numerous sports talk radio and TV shows across the country. Marshall's vast array of editorial work has been featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the New York Post and many other outlets.
He has won various handicapping titles and also has emerged as a top analyst for SportsLine. Marshall has crushed his NBA picks this season for SportsLine members, entering this matchup on a 196-144 run that has returned more than $3,800 for $100 players. Anyone following him already has seen massive returns.
Now, he has set his sights on Mavericks vs. Celtics and locked in his picks and NBA Finals predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are severalNBA oddsand betting lines for Celtics vs. Mavericks:
- Mavericks vs. Celtics point spread: Celtics -6.5
- Mavericks vs. Celtics over/under: 214.5 points
- Mavericks vs. Celtics money line: Celtics -250, Mavs +205
- DAL: The Mavericks are 11-6 against the spread in the 2024 NBA playoffs.
- BOS: The Celtics are 31-23-3 ATS as a favorite of 6.5 or more points this season.
- Mavericks vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Celtics can cover
The Celtics already stood to have a significant depth advantage over the Mavericks in the NBA Finals, but that gap stands to perhaps get even wider with the anticipated return of versatile big man Kristaps Porzingis. Porzingis was injured late in Boston's first-round series against the Miami Heat and was projected to return during the conference finals. But when the Celtics took control of that series, they chose to take a risk-averse approach and give the seventh-year pro even more rest ahead of the NBA Finals.
According to numerous reports, Porzingis has participated in multiple full-contact scrimmages in recent practices ahead of Game 1 and is on track to return to live action. Whether he resumes his role as a starter remains to be seen, but he emerged as one of Boston's most important pieces throughout the season. Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in 57 regular-season games.See which team to pick here.
Why the Mavericks can cover
Dallas' trade-deadline acquisitions of both versatile forward P.J. Washington and defensive stalwart Daniel Gafford have been an enormous boost, as both have repeatedly come up big in the postseason. In addition, the insertion of journeyman Derrick Jones Jr. into the starting lineup was a catalyst behind Dallas leading the NBA in defensive efficiency for the last month-plus of the season.
The late evolution of perhaps the best supporting cast in the NBA served as a buffer for the emergence of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as one of the most dominant backcourts in playoff history. The playmakers have alternated taking over games in clutch time during the playoffs, and such an effort wasn't necessary as they led wire to wire in their 124-103 Game 5 closeout win over the Timberwolves in Minnesota. Doncic is averaging nearly a triple-double in the postseason, with averages of 28.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 8.8 assists. Irving is putting up 22.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.See which team to pick here.
How to make Celtics vs. Mavericks picks
Marshall is leaning Over on the point total. He has also identified a critical X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Mavericks vs. Celtics in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, and which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Mavericks spread to jump on, all from the expert who has returned more than $3,800 on his NBA picks this season, and find out.
