The 2024 NBA Finals are officially underway! Boston took a major advantage by winning the first two games at home, but will face a tougher task on the road in Dallas. The Mavericks desperately need a win in Game 3 to keep their hopes alive. Going down 3-0 in the series would put them in a brutal position.
Before Betting on Celtics vs Mavericks
The Celtics took a 2-0 in the NBA Finals on Sunday. They’ll face an uphill battle on the road in Game 3, entering as the underdogs. Despite that, Boston looked dominant in the first two games of the series, after entering the series as a whole with longer odds than the Mavs. The biggest area for improvement has been their offense, which is still showing some signs of sluggishness after a long break in play. As long as the defense continues to disrupt Irving and Doncic, though, Boston will continue to control the game.
The Mavericks find themselves in a hole entering Game 3, but can still climb back into the series. A 3-0 deficit has never been turned into a series victory in the Finals, and a 3-1 comeback has only happened one time. That makes it exceedingly crucial for Dallas to win not only Game 3, but Game 4 as well. They need to defend home court and shift the momentum. In order to do so, they’ll need significantly better play from Kyrie Irving, who is having an abysmal series so far. Irving is 13-37 (35%) from the field and 0-8 from 3pt-range through two games.
Mavericks vs Celtics Offshore Odds
If the Celtics manage to win this game, the NBA Finals will be all but over. It would be a viewership disaster for the NBA, which has already seen some very short series in this postseason. Even so, there isn’t much that can be done if Boston continues to dominate Dallas on both sides of the ball. That being said, with the Mavericks returning to their home court, expect the crowd to invigorate them and help kick the offense in second gear. Dallas should be able to pick up at least one win at home before returning to Boston.
