Mavericks Gallop into Boston for Game 1 of NBA Finals
Mavericks vs Celtics Finals Game 1 Have Home Team Favored
Mavericks vs Celtics Finals Game 1 is finally here! After almost a week without real basketball, NBA fans can rejoice because we are back, baby. The NBA Finals start this Thursday and we have a battle between the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics, and the number five seed in the Western Conference, the Dallas Mavericks.
Each NBA team is led by a star duo, the Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown and the Mavericks by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
The Mavericks vs Celtics Finals Game 1 odds are in. The Celtics are 6.5-point favorites to win at home. They are -230 to win the game straight up while the Mavericks are +190 underdogs to steal Game 1. The total for the game is set at 214.5.
Mavericks vs Celtics 
Records: Mavericks (62-37), Celtics (76-20)
Day/Time:
Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
Streaming: ABC
Almost Perfect Playoffs
The Celtics are coming off a sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. They have been the odds-on favorite to win the East and the NBA Finals for almost the entire season, and it is much deserved.
The Celtics have dominated all season long, finishing with an astonishing 64 wins, and after the first three rounds of the playoffs are at a 76-20 record.
Boston finished the NBA regular season with the number one offensive rating and the number two defensive rating. It currently has the second-best offensive rating these playoffs and the third-best defensive rating.
Tatum & Brown get a lot of hate for a duo that has been solid from the jump.
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— All the Smoke Productions (@allthesmokeprod) May 30, 2024
Although Boston only lost two games these entire playoffs, something about the Celtics’ performance this postseason has many people doubting their abilities.
They’ve missed starting center Kristaps Porzingis for most of the NBA playoffs, but have taken care of business in his absence. Jayson Tatum has averaged 26 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 5.9 assists so far these playoffs, and Jaylen Brown has averaged 25.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists.
Both Tatum and Brown stepped up in a big way during the Eastern Conference Finals, completing a sweep of the hobbled Indiana Pacers.
Tatum averaged 30.3 points, 6.3 assists and 10.3 rebounds in the series. Jaylen Brown, however, was even better. He averaged 29.8 points, five rebounds, and two steals a game, on an incredible 51.7% field goal shooting.
Brown received the Larry Bird Eastern Conference MVP trophy for his exceptional performance. It was highlighted by his efficient shooting, a game-tying corner three-pointer in Game 1, and a 40-point showcase in Game 2.
As the Celtics advance to the NBA Finals, anticipate the dynamic duo of Tatum and Brown to be put to the test against a solid Dallas defense.
Luka’s First (NBA) Finals
Unlike Boston, the Dallas Mavericks were not expected to be here. Barely favorites in their first series, they won 4-2 against the Los Angeles Clippers. They then upset the number one seed Oklahoma City Thunder in six NBA games, making their second Western Conference Finals in the Luka Doncic era.
There they met the favored Minnesota Timberwolves with the league’s best defense and shocked the NBA world winning the series in five games and heading to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011.
This time, the Mavericks don’t have Dirk Nowitzki but will be leaning on a new European star in Luka Doncic.
Doncic has played heroic-level basketball all playoffs long, capping off the first three rounds by receiving the Magic Johnson Western Conference MVP trophy.
He has averaged 28.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.8 assists so far these playoffs, adding 28 steals and eight blocks in his seventeen games. He continues to prove that he is one of the best basketball players on earth, and he is only getting better.
The 25-year-old has already won Euro League MVP, EuroLeague Final Four MVP, three Liga ACB titles, one Euroleague title, one Eurobasket title, five-time All-NBA first-team selections, and most recently his first NBA scoring title.
Doncic has shown his ability to win and dominate in every level of basketball competition and could single-handedly bring the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Dallas.
This postseason, Boston (6-2 at home, 6-0 on the road) and Dallas (5-3, 7-2) both have a better record on the road than at home.
The Mavericks’ seven road wins ties the record for the most road playoff wins before Finals (* excluding bubble):
2024 Mavericks – 7
2022 Celtics – 7… pic.twitter.com/rFlOSTlzzp— Crazy Stats (@NBAcrazystats) June 2, 2024
Series Prices
The NBA odds have the Celtics favored at -220 to win the series. They have a home-court advantage and had an easier path to the Finals. Conversely, the Mavericks’ NBA championship odds are +175, having impressed with a five-game series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kristaps Porzingis’ questionable status for Boston, having missed the last four weeks of playoffs, adds uncertainty. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks have been tested through each playoff round, showing resilience and capability.
The series spread of Dallas +1.5 is appealing, considering the potential absence of Porzingis plus the Mavericks’ momentum.
The Mavericks vs Celtics Finals Game 1 odds have the Celtics -6.5 at home.
Tune in and monitor the rest of the NBA finals schedule to watch this great matchup.
For NBA betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
