Celtics favored to win matchup in NBA Finals vs. Mavericks
As the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks prepare for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, the Celtics sit as the early favorites to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Boston opened as -225 favorites to win the 2024 NBA title over Dallas. Meanwhile, the Celtics are a 6-point favorite to win Game 1 over the Mavericks.
“At the start of the playoffs, this potential series price would have had the Celtics a heavier favorite, but now looks quite a bit closer,” sports trader David Lieberman, who oversees NBA odds for Caesars Sportsbook, told ESPN.
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Although the Celtics have gone through the playoffs facing teams dealing with injuries to their star players, they have handled their business. Boston is coming off a convincing four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics are a well-oiled machine on both ends of the floor with their star duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the charge. Tatum currently holds -130 odds as the favorite to secure the Finals MVP award. Luka Doncic follows him next at +200 then Brown at +600, and followed by Kyrie Irving at +2,400.
The Mavericks have pushed through an impressive playoff run led by Doncic and Irving. The duo scored 36 points a piece to cruise past the Timberwolves in a close-out Game 5 win.
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However, it’s been more than Doncic and Irving as the Mavericks have found much success behind their stout collective play defensively. All that sets up what should be an entertaining NBA Finals.
