Celtics, Up 2-0, Pressure Mavs Heading to Dallas
Back the Visitors Per Celtics vs Mavs Game 3 Predictions
Your Celtics vs Mavs Game 3 predictions are here! The spreads opened with Dallas as -2 favorites at home. The Mavericks are -125 to win straight up and the Celtics are +105. The total for the game is set at 213.
The Mavericks went down 0-2 Sunday to the Celtics in a game that looked closer than it felt. The Mavericks got another superb performance from Luka Doncic and even got some help from role players like PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the depth of the Boston Celtics.
Expert Pick: Subscribe below to get our Premium Insights!
Expert Pick: Subscribe below to get our Premium Insights!Kyrie Irving has yet to score 20 points in this series, and with the rest of the Dallas supporting cast lacking support, Luka has been having to carry the entire Dallas offensive load. With Luka banged up and grinding through it, Dallas will need to throw him a life raft soon or they will be packing their bags for Cancun before they know it.
In this Celtics vs Mavs Game 3 prediction, we are going to look at NBA scores from Game 1 and Game 2 and analyze the odds and results to see what NBA picks and parlays to make in Game 3.
Celtics vs Mavericks 
Records: Boston Celtics (78-20), Dallas Mavericks (62-39)
Day/Time:
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Streaming: ESPN
Game 1 Results
The Celtics dominated the Mavericks in Game 1, cruising to a 107-89 victory. Boston jumped out to a big lead early and never relinquished control, thanks in part to a surprising performance from Kristaps Porzingis. The returning forward scored 20 points off the bench, providing a much-needed scoring boost alongside Jaylen Brown’s team-high 22 points.
The Celtics’ defense was the real story, stifling the Mavericks’ offense all night. Dallas struggled mightily from the field, shooting just 41.7% overall and a dismal 25.9% from 3-point range. Luka Doncic’s triple-double (30 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist) couldn’t overcome the lack of support from his teammates, with Kyrie Irving enduring a particularly rough shooting night (12 points on 6-of-19 shooting).
Game 2 Results
The second game was a bit more exciting but yielded the same result, a Celtics win. The Celtics won 105-98 after a back-and-forth game that brought back the excitement everyone was expecting from the NBA Finals. The game started with an offensive masterclass from Luka Doncic and an early lead from Dallas. Despite a poor shooting night (25.6% from 3-point range) from Boston, they surged back and took a commanding third-quarter lead. While Jayson Tatum struggled offensively, he contributed 12 assists and nine rebounds. Jaylen Brown stepped up with 21 points and three steals.
The difference maker was Boston’s balanced attack. Jrue Holiday led the team with 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick White provided a key block in the final seconds as Dallas had an opportunity to cut the Boston lead to three late in the fourth.
Luka Doncic had a triple-double for Dallas (32 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists), but the supporting cast couldn’t keep pace. Kyrie Irving had an off night (16 points) and Dallas desperately needs someone to help Doncic with the scoring load.
Once again the Celtics forced more turnovers than Dallas, notching 10 steals and five blocks. Dallas only forced five steals and three blocks. Dallas also shot even more poorly from 3-points than Boston, only connecting on six of their 26 attempts from range. Outside of Luka, only two Boston players made a 3-pointer, PJ Washington (1-of-5) and Dante Exum (1-of-1). Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr, Maxi Kleber, and Josh Green were a combined 0-of-11 on 3s (many of which were wide-open).
The Celtics remain undefeated on the road in the playoffs, and with their deep roster and suffocating defense, the Maverick’s supporting cast will need to step up for the Mavericks to avoid a 3-0 hole.
The Oddsmakers Have Spoken
The spreads opened for Game 3 with Dallas as -2 favorites at home. The Mavericks are -125 to win straight up and the Celtics are +105. The total for the game is set at 213.
The series prices are Mavericks +525 to win the Finals and Celtics -800. The current odds for a Celtics sweep are +275. The odds for the Mavericks to win in six are +1400 and for the Mavericks to seven +950. Oddsmakers currently believe the most likely outcome for the Finals is the Celtics in five games, +175. Jayson Tatum is the favorite to win Finals MVP at -125, Jaylen Brown is behind him at +225 and Luka’s odds are +550.
Boston Celtics has now won nine straight games and is 5-0-1 against the spread in their last six games against Dallas. In their last five games on the road against Dallas, the under has hit four times. Dallas is 13-7 in their last 20 games as the favorite, and the Celtics have not played been the underdog once in their last 10 games.
Game 1 had Boston win straight up, cover, and the total went under. Game 2 had Boston win straight up, the spread was a push, and the total went under. The total line has dropped from 217.5 in Game 1, to 214.5 in Game 2, and now is 213. The highest total so far this series has been Game 2’s 203.
We think there is a good chance the Celtics take Game 3 on the road. They are just too skilled and too deep for Dallas, who have relied on Luka Doncic’s heroics just a little too much. Thanks for enjoying our NBA betting analysis and Celtics vs Mavs Game 3 Prediction!
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