The Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics have made it to the 2024 NBA Finals and we’ve identified three juicy bets that we’re backing in the series.
NBA Finals series bets
Correct score: Boston Celtics 4-2
Most threes in the series: Luka Doncic
Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics
‘This is surely the year when the Boston Celtics win it all and lift the Larry O’Brien Championship trophy.’
That was the opening line from our preview of the Celtics first-round matchup, and we backed Boston to make the finals before a ball was tipped.
No kudos to us, because everyone expected this. This deep, talented team dominated during the regular season and is currently 12-2 in the post-season.
On the other hand, Dallas weren’t expected to lay a glove on the NBA’s top sides. Even their fans wrote this team off, at least until the middle of the season.
The Mav’s smart acquisitions to complement Doncic and give him some help changed their fortunes, while Derrick Jones Jr. has played his part in transforming their awful defence.
The Celtics had the freedom of the court when they dropped 138 points on Dallas in March, but the addition of Daniel Gafford has helped them figure out how to protect the paint.
Giving their opponents more traffic to navigate has made the Mavs competitive, but how does that work against a Boston team that spaces the floor so well and shoots the most three-point shots in the NBA?
Part of that elite spacing is thanks to the presence of Kristaps Porzingis, so keep an eye on his injury status. The big man has been battling an injury throughout the playoffs.
Knee troubles have also plagued Mavericks star Luka Doncic, and while he hasn’t been at his best, he’s played a huge role in key moments.
Doncic (28.8 points and 8.8 assists), alongside Kyrie Irving, who shot a playoff career-high 48% in game five against Minnesota, have their work cut out for them.
For all the offensive star power on show, let’s not forget that Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are a mean backcourt capable of shutting anyone down.
Their level of defensive play this season has allowed Boston to pull away from numerous teams with Tatum and Jaylen Brown proving unstoppable at the other end of the court.