Mavericks at Celtics NBA Finals Game 1 odds, expert picks: Boston is a strong favorite

The Boston Celtics were expected to go to the NBA Finals. The Celtics had the best regular-season record in the league and were a clear favorite to win the Eastern Conference side of the playoffs when the postseason began. The Dallas Mavericks were not expected to be here.

Now, the two teams meet in Game 1 on Thursday. Boston is a significant favorite for both the opening game and the series.

It’s a matchup of teams featuring star duos. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were drafted by the Celtics with the third pick in consecutive years (Brown in 2016, Tatum in 2017) and have been leading the team for several years. Luka Dončić joined Dallas as the third pick in 2018, but only late last season got united with Kyrie Irving. That Dallas duo has started to click with the Mavs going on a 16-2 run late in the regular season before both sat out the final two games of the regular season. Dallas entered the postseason as the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference but has been playing much better than that for three months now.

All odds from BetMGM. Find the best deals on StubHub for tickets.

Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics

How to watch: 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC

Series odds: Celtics -225, Mavericks +180

The way these two teams have been playing this postseason makes it seem like this series should be competitive, but the odds are saying otherwise. The odds are implying a nearly 70 percent chance for Boston to win the series. The most likely series outcome in the odds is Boston in five games, which is +300 on BetMGM.

Boston hasn’t been tested this postseason. The Celtics are 12-2 in the playoffs and swept the Eastern Conference finals, although Indiana blew late leads in three of the four games in that series. Boston also played multiple games in every series with the opposing team missing arguably its best player. The Celtics have mostly cruised through the playoffs, but a healthy Dallas team should be a significant step up in competition.

Dallas has also avoided major drama this postseason. The Mavs beat Minnesota in five games in the Western Conference finals and won the first two rounds in six games. Dallas did this while also starting every series on the road.

These teams met twice in the regular season with Boston winning both games. Tatum averaged 35.5 points while Dončić averaged 35 points per game. Buckle up.

Any title is usually legacy-defining, but that might be especially true in this series. Tatum and Brown have not yet won a title despite being among the main contenders for the last few years. Boston made the NBA Finals two years ago but lost to Golden State in six games. Can they prove to be winners, or will this year end in another near-miss?

Dončić is taking part in his first NBA Finals. No one is doubting the ability of the Slovenian, who is arguably the best guard in the league, but he still has to win a title at some point to be among the true greats of the sport. He hasn’t had a strong supporting cast for much of his young career, but with Irving on board, the Mavs are in the Finals. Irving already won with LeBron James in Cleveland in 2016 and was crucial in upsetting Golden State that year. If he wins with another team, he will cement his legacy as a winning player.

For all the talk of the stars, will any supporting cast members stand out in this series? P.J. Washington has had some standout games this playoffs for Dallas, mostly in the second round against Oklahoma City, and Derrick White had some heaters for Boston. Will those two play decisive roles in any games this series or will it all be about the star duos?