March 2022 Boston Celtics Wiretap

NBA Finals Celtics vs Warriors Odds, Picks & Betting Predictions

Jun 1, 2022 11:33 AM

 

The Golden State Warriors’ dynasty remains alive and well. After a two-year absence from the NBA Finals, Steph Curry and the Warriors are playing for the NBA championship for the sixth time in eight seasons. The Warriors face the Boston Celtics, champions of the Eastern Conference, in the best-of-7 series. Game 1 is June 2 in San Francisco.

The Warriors are 3-2 in NBA Finals series helmed by Curry. The Celtics, one of the more decorated franchises in NBA history, make their first appearance in the final round since 2010.

Golden State and Boston split their season series, each winning on the road. The March 16 matchup, won by the Celtics 110-88, was marred when Marcus Smart dove into the leg of Curry going for a loose ball, causing the superstar to miss the final 12 games of the regular season.

Ahead of Game 1 on Thursday, let’s break down the series and make our NBA picks to back on betting apps.

 

NBA Finals Celtics vs Warriors Series Odds

Market Warriors Odds Celtics Odds
To Win Series -150 +130
To Win 4-0 +1200 +1400
To Win 4-1 +450 +900
To Win 4-2 +550 +370
To Win 4-3 +310 +650
Total Games Played 7 Games 6 Games 5 Games 4 Games
Odds +180 +200 +290 +650
 

NBA Finals Betting Tips

Marcus Smart Key

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been the 1-2 punch for the Celtics and that includes the two games vs. Golden State. But Smart averaged 19.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.0 assists vs. the Warriors this year.

In the regular season he was at 12.1/3.8/5.9, but in these playoffs he is at 15.0/4.2/6.5. He’s picked up his game in the postseason and was already great vs. Golden State.

Defensive Holes

Boston ranks No. 1 in the NBA in fewest points allowed while Golden State is a solid third. But each has issues vs. specific positions. The Celtics allowed the fourth-most production to power forwards and eighth-most to small forwards – good news for Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins.

The Warriors, however, rank No. 5 in most production allowed to point guards and No. 10 to small forwards, offering favorable matchups for Marcus Smart and Jayson Tatum.

Lack Of Scoring Depth For Boston

The Warriors’ reserves have scored 37.8 ppg in the postseason, most in the league, with a +/- rating of 1.8 points, second only to the Hawks. Boston’s bench ranks No. 3 in +/- at 1.7 due to the defense.

Its bench is scoring only 23.4 ppg, 14th out of 16 playoff teams. Expect continued big minutes from the starting five of Boston.

 

NBA Finals Picks & Predictions

First, kudos to both teams for getting this far. When the season began, the Warriors (+900) were behind the Lakers in the West to win the title, while the Celtics (+4000) were No. 6 in the East, right behind the Atlanta Hawks on the NBA betting board.

Golden State is -150 to win the series at most online sportsbooks. Boston comes in at +130. It’s not a shock, given the proximity of the team odds, that Warriors in 7 is the most likely outcome on the table at +310, followed by Celtics in 6 (+370).

Boston was one of my picks to win the NBA title at the All-Star Break on the NBA futures market, but I won’t double-down on the Celtics here. Instead, I’ll offer a slight hedge for a Warriors team that, finally healthy, is 16-4 in the playoffs.

Boston matches up well with Golden State, but to fade Steph and Klay here doesn’t sound … sound. This has the makings of a seven-game series. Take Golden State in 7 at NBA odds of +310, especially if you already have a Celtics title ticket in your pocket.

 

NBA Finals Schedule & TV

  • Game 1: June 2, Boston at Golden State, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
  • Game 2: June 5, Boston at Golden State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC
  • Game 3: June 8, Golden State at Boston, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
  • Game 4: June 10, Golden State at Boston, 9 p.m. ET, ABC
  • Game 5: June 13, Boston at Golden State, 9 p.m. ET, ABC*
  • Game 6: June 16, Golden State at Boston, 9 p.m. ET, ABC*
  • Game 7: June 19, Boston at Golden State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC*

*-if necessary

 

Adam Thompson, Bookies

Tags: Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, NBA, Gambling

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BetMGM Bonus Code Gives Celtics, Warriors Fans An $1100 Risk-Free Bet

May 31, 2022 5:00 PM

The NBA Finals are about to begin, with the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors set to battle it out. It figures to be a great attraction for hoops betting enthusiasts, and right now new customers can get their first bet at BetMGM risk-free, up to $1,000, with the BetMGM bonus code REALGM.

 

The Stanley Cup Finals aren’t far away either, making this one of the most exciting times of the year for sports fans. With the BetMGM bonus code REALGM, first-time customers can be assured of winning their first bet and all the cash profits or getting second-chance free-bet tokens in five equal allotments, up to $1,000.

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Get Started Quickly With BetMGM Bonus Code

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What To Expect From BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM

To further explain how the BetMGM bonus code REALGM works, consider the following scenario: let’s say you bet $1,000 on the Warriors to win an NBA Finals game, at odds of -200. That’s a good bet probably, as the Warriors have dominated much of the playoffs so far, led by Steph Curry. If the Warriors win, you would win $1,500 ($1,000 state back, plus a profit of $500).

 

If the Warriors lost? You’d get $1,000 in free-bet tokens added quickly to your account, to bet any way you want within seven days. 

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Odds Boosts Give Greater Payouts

As longtime customers with BetMGM know, you’re not forgotten after the intro offer is over. BetMGM has remained a trusted brand with the betting public because of interesting, innovative promotions all the time. 

They also keep things interesting with daily odds boosts. Before games, BetMGM will often give odds boosts on existing odds, increasing the payout on successful bets. Maybe the odds on the Warriors scoring more points than 28 in the first quarter is originally at +140 odds, only to go to +175 suddenly? That kind of thing happens all the time, and bettors love that because the payouts get that much higher on winning wagers.

With the BetMGM bonus code REALGM, the fun is only just beginning for new customers.

Elsewhere, online wagering arrived in Ontario in April. To find more information about Ontario’s mobile sports betting and online casino bonuses, you can check our Ontario sports betting and Ontario online casino bonus codes reviews.

 

Adrian Dater

Tags: Stephen Curry, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, NBA, Gambling

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Danny Ainge Praises Personnel Moves Made By Brad Stevens

May 31, 2022 8:04 AM

With the Boston Celtics finally reaching The Finals during their first season since exiting the franchise, Danny Ainge was interviewed by Heavy.com.

“I think that, by moving Kemba,” Ainge told Heavy, “it allowed Marcus (Smart), Jaylen (Brown) and Jayson (Tatum) and Robert Williams to really thrive in positional size, with Horford taking up a big responsibility in the front line for Robert and moving Jaylen, Jayson and Marcus to their positions where they can have size advantages.

“It’s just a better fit. I think that is really clear.”

Ainge praised the size of Boston's defense compared to how they tried to cover for smaller players in the past.

“I think it makes your defense so much better,” said Ainge. “You don’t really have any weak holes in your defense at all. There’s a lot of small players that we had, with Kemba and Isaiah Thomas, and Kyrie (Irving) had pretty good size for a point guard, but he was smaller. Sometimes there’s some defensive liability with those great small players.

“You don’t have the same dynamic offensive point guard in Marcus, but he brings such a different element with his ability to pass and his ability to post up and rebound. But more than anything, the versatility that he has to be able to guard 1 through 5, I mean, that’s really increased the defensive ability of their team.”

Ainge maintains contact with the Boston front office by way of Brad Stevens, as well as Ainge's son Austin Ainge. 

“I’m really impressed by what Brad has done in his first year. I think he’s done an excellent job,” Ainge said. “Going into the season, I didn’t think he was certain of what he had for depth on the bench, and getting Josh Richardson and even (Dennis) Schroder were good acquisitions. You know, getting Al so you could play a bigger brand of basketball while adding a solid veteran player around their core four players was something that’s had a big impact on this season.

“I know that Al wanted to come back to Boston, so that was good, too. And then to make the changes during the season, to see that there were opportunities to improve, was also important. It wasn’t like Schroder wasn’t playing well; Schroder was playing well, but it probably wasn’t a great fit to finish games with Marcus and Schroder. And, you know, Schroder came with the idea that he was going to play a really big role. So I think that Brad recognized the challenge that the coach may have had, and the move freed up playing time for other guys — and (Payton) Pritchard has played really well since the trade of Schroder, so that was good, too.”

Steve Buplett/Heavy.com

Tags: Boston Celtics, Utah Jazz, NBA

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Jaylen Brown: Trade Talk Was Loud, Most Of It Came From Boston Fans

May 31, 2022 7:58 AM

When the Boston Celtics had a slow start to the 21-22 season, there were calls by some to break up their core of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. If the Celtics were to make a trade of one of their two wings, it would have most likely been Brown.

“That trade talk was loud, and most of it came from Boston fans,” Brown told Yahoo Sports. “It’s a city that doesn’t tolerate excuses. But in reality, early in the season we had a new coach, we had a new front office, I missed about 15 games early in the season and that caused us to not be clicking on all cylinders like we wanted to be. People were impatient, so I understand. But fast forward, we got healthy, we got everybody back and now the sky’s the limit.”

Brown wasn't an All-Star in 2022 as he was in 2021, but he finished the season with similar production. During the playoffs, Brown is averaging 22.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Brown can become a free agent in 2024.

Chris Haynes/Yahoo! Sports

Tags: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBA Trade Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Celtics Will Bring Back Al Horford Next Season Regardless Of Finals Result

May 31, 2022 7:52 AM

With the Boston Celtics reaching the NBA Finals, Al Horford has his 22-23 salary guarantee jump from $14.5 million to $19.5 million.

Horford will get the full $26.5 million in his contract guaranteed if the Celtics win the NBA Finals.

But sources tell the Boston Herald that the Celtics are expected to bring back Horford and fully guarantee his $26.5 million deal regardless. 

Horford signed a four-year deal during the 2019 offseason with the Philadelphia 76ers that was partially guaranteed in Year 4 ($14.5 million of $26.5 million).

Brian Robb/Masslive

Tags: Al Horford, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Ime Udoka Describes Process Of Missing Out On Several Head Coach Jobs Before Celtics

May 31, 2022 7:48 AM

Ime Udoka was a head coaching candidate several times before he was eventually hired by the Boston Celtics during the 2021 offseason.

“The one thing I would say is the disappointment of coming in second a few years really hurt,” Udoka told Yahoo Sports after the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday. “But if you told me I’d have to wait for Boston and get [bypassed] by some of the ones that I got beat out on, it's a no-brainer for me. I’m happy to be in Boston.”

Udoka was the runner-up during multiple hires.

“You really want me to tell you? Detroit, Indiana, Cleveland,” Udoka told Yahoo Sports. “I can go down the list. That was tough because I believe I was ready. But I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of an organization that’s pushing for winning and championships. You can be in a lot of different situations. There are only 30 teams and I get that, but to not be in a rebuild and being in an expectation pressure-filled situation, I wouldn’t trade that in any day.”

Udoka spent seven seasons as an assistant in San Antonio under Gregg Popovich before taking the same role with Philadelphia under Brett Brown before also working as an assistant coach with the Nets under Steve Nash.

“I was always confident once my name started getting out there,” Udoka told Yahoo Sports. “We had some success. Obviously, being in San Antonio helped that. The interview process started and there was a lot of interest, so it was just a matter of time. I was a finalist in a few destinations. So, I always had total faith in that it was a matter of the right fit.”

Chris Haynes/Yahoo! Sports

Tags: Boston Celtics, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Warriors Open As -160 Favorites Over Celtics In NBA Finals

May 29, 2022 11:56 PM

The Golden State Warriors are -160 favorites over the Boston Celtics in the 2022 Finals.

The Warriors entered the season at 10-1 odds to win the championship. 

Boston began the season as a 50-1 long shot. Based on preseason odds, the Celtics would be the biggest long shot to win a title in the past 35 years, according to sports betting archive SportsOddsHistory.com.

David Purdum/ESPN

Tags: Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, NBA

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Celtics Will Become Luxury Tax Payors If They Win Finals

May 29, 2022 11:52 PM

The Boston Celtics will become a luxury tax team if they win the NBA championship by way of a bonus in Jaylen Brown's contract.

Brown has earned a $964,286 bonus with the Celtics reaching The Finals.

The Celtics are now $358,000 below the luxury tax line. 

In addition to paying the luxury tax, the Celtics would more importantly miss out on receiving a significant luxury tax payment.

Bobby Marks/ESPN

Tags: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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Celtics Advance To Finals, Jayson Tatum Named ECF MVP

May 29, 2022 11:43 PM

The Boston Celtics held on late in Game 7 to defeat the Miami Heat 100-96 to advance to their first Finals since 2010. The Celtics will play the Golden State Warriors with the series beginning on Thursday.

Jayson Tatum was named Eastern Conference Finals.

Jimmy Butler continued his outstanding playoffs with 35 points and nine rebounds. Butler had a chance to take the lead for the Heat to top off a furious comeback, but his transition three-point attempt was well off.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Boston Celtics, NBA, NBA Playoffs

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Mike Breen Won't Call Game 7 Due To Health And Safety Protocols

May 29, 2022 2:49 PM

Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals will be missing one of its signature voices. ESPN play-by-play announcer Mike Breen will not be on the call for the first time all series due to a positive COVID test.

Breen has called the first six games of the East finals. He's expected to be replaced by Mark Jones, who calls play-by-play for NBA games for ESPN throughout out the regular season and playoffs. Jones will be joined by Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy on the broadcast.

Per an ESPN spokesperson, Breen feels well. He's expected to return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, June 2.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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BetMGM Illinois Bonus Code: Bet $10, Win $200 In Free Bets On NBA Finals

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RealGM Radio: Rob Mahoney On The Conference Finals (May 2022)

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Marcus Smart Misses Game 4 Due To Ankle Sprain

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Caesars Sportsbook Promo Code Lands $1100 First-Bet insurance For NBA Bettors

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Al Horford Tested Negative For COVID-19 Three Times Between Games 1, 2

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BetMGM Bonus Code REALGM: Bet $10, Win $200 In Free Bets For NBA Fans

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Al Horford Upgraded To Questionable For Game 2

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Derrick White Out For Game 2 Due To Personal Reasons

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Heat-Celtics Game 1 Averages 6 Million Viewers, Up 13% From Last Season

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Marcus Smart Hoping To Play In Game 2

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Celtics Have Had Several Staff Members Test Positive For COVID-19 In Recent Days

Brian Windhorst/ESPN

Al Horford Out For Game 1 With COVID-19 Protocols

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Heat vs Celtics Odds, NBA Playoff Picks & Betting Predictions

Adam Thompson, Bookies

Marcus Smart Questionable For Game 1 With Midfoot Sprain

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Jaylen Brown After Grant Williams Hits 7 3s In Game 7 Win: 'Call Him Grant Curry'

Andrew Lopez/ESPN

Robert Williams Available For Celtics For Game 7

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Jayson Tatum Scores 46 Points As Celtics Force Game 7

Andrew Lopez ESPN

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