The NBA Finals are set and we have a total contrast in teams. Usually those kinds of differences between teams gunning for a championship lead to plenty of opportunities for sports bettors to make some money. This year is no different as we have the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks playing for the title.
The Boston Celtics are supposed to be here. They were the preseason conference favorites and didn't disappoint. Boston upped their game once they hit the postseason with a 12-2 playoff record after dominating the regular slate of games. Boston won 64 games with the league's top ranked offense, scoring 123 points per game, and the #3 overall defense, holding teams to just over 111 points per game. They also don't seem to care about the venue because they have an 8 game road winning streak going for them as well.
Dallas nearly had to play in the play-in tournament to be in this spot. The Mavs have a superstar in Luka Doncic, but many NBA fans would be hard pressed to name more players than just him. This Mavs team excelled when it counted though and have relied upon Luka and the offense all season long. Dallas finished with a top 10 offense during the year and they were led by eye popping numbers from their superstar. Luka averaged 28.8 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game, 8.8 assists per game, and made nearly 3 1/2 three-pointers per game during the playoffs.
For that reason there should be no other choice for MVP if you like Dallas. There is no world where the Mavericks upset the Celtics and Luka doesn't completely take over games and take home the award. At +220 he isn't getting much value back, but if you like Dallas that is your only play for MVP. On the other side Jason Tatum is getting the most MVP bets and money coming in. Tatum is the Celtics superstar and it makes sense, but Brown just won the conference MVP and White and company all contribute, so it's a little riskier if you are backing Boston.
During the Finals there always seems to be a prop play or two that bettors can capitalize on. This Finals is no different where Luka to make the most three pointers is set at +120 in most sports books. If you believe that Boston wins and double teams him to keep him in check, or even if you buy into the Dallas Cinderella story this is a solid plus money bet.
That brings us to the prediction and is it worth the risk. Simply put, yes it is. The Celtics are far and away the better team and -220 to win the series isn't too large of a line to take. Boston has the better offense, better defense, home court advantage and the only reason this team is -300 or more is because of how good Doncic can be. The Celtics will make it a very conscious effort to use their elite defense against Luka and while we probably won't see a sweep, the Celtics should handle this series and lift the trophy at the end. Thus, cashing tickets for everyone who isn't scared off by the -220 line.