- What: 2024 NBA Finals
- Who: Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks
- When: Game 1 on Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET
- Where: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts
- How to watch: ESPN and WatchESPN
As has been the case throughout the year, a lot of people have a feeling the Boston Celtics are going to be able to win their first title since 2008. Back in '08, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce were leading the way, but now a new generation is ready to try and make history for the Eastern Conference powerhouse. Will they be able to do so? A lot of people think they will, as the Boston Celtics are strong favorites over Dallas in the 2024 NBA Finals.
This shouldn't come as a major surprise, as Boston has had the top NBA betting odds throughout the campaign. Led by Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, the Celtics have been on a tear, which was highlighted by them beating Indiana 4-0 to get to the Finals. With Al Horford also playing quite well for Boston, it feels like nothing is going to stop this team from capturing the glory. It also helps that they're feeling pretty confident about things, but Tatum is also motivated about previously losing in the Finals.
| NBA Finals odds |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics to win | -220 | -220 | -220 |
| Mavs to win | +185 | +185 | +185 |
| Over 5.5 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Under 5.5 games | -110 | -110 | -110 |
"It's a lot that myself, and we, can learn from that experience being in the Finals, and this time, this go-around is a lot different," Tatum said after a recent practice. "Obviously, we've been there before, we came up short. And a great opportunity to make it to the Finals again. You don't always get a second chance, so really just looking at it as a second chance and trying to simplify things as much as we can."
According to the best-rated sportsbooks, which includes the reliable Bovada review, the Celtics hold -220 NBA betting odds to win the title. As for the Mavericks, they're also a threat, as they've been given +185 NBA Finals betting odds. This is going to be a fun series and we can't wait for things to get started on Thursday night. Having said that, we're going to have to go with the Celtics as our pick - they've simply been too dominant this year.
focused on what's in front of us pic.twitter.com/cO2tQjfdyX
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 3, 2024
How many games will the 2024 NBA Finals last?
In the Eastern Conference Finals, Boston indeed had its way with Indiana, sweeping them in impressive fashion. While we do think the Celtics are going to end up bringing home the Larry O'Brien Trophy, we also think this series is going to be quite close. The Mavericks have posted some tremendous upsets this postseason, which was the case in the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves. With that said, how many games will the 2024 NBA Finals last?
In that series, we saw just how special Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic can be working together. Doncic is one of the best shooters in the game. Minnesota has a lot of talented on-ball defenders, but they simply could not match up with Dallas. Now, head coach Jason Kidd is ready for Doncic and the rest of his roster to play at a high level. If Dallas wants to keep things close, then they'll need Doncic to be at his best.
Luka Doncic: a MAGICIAN with the ball fake 🪄💫 pic.twitter.com/s18usl03Ey
— NBA (@NBA) June 4, 2024
“This one was very close to that where he (Doncic) took the crowd out of the game right off the bat,” Kidd said after a Game 5 win over the Timberwolves. “He let his teammates know that it’s time that we have to take it up a notch. He sent the invites out and they all came. He was ready to go. As a leader, that’s what you need on the road against a very talented team to let them know that it’s going to be hard tonight and he definitely did that.”
Per the oddsmakers, the over/under has been set at 5.5 games for the NBA Finals, with -110 NBA playoffs betting odds. It would be a major surprise if this series were to last five games, which is why we think there will be six games needed at a minimum. Dallas will surely post a win or two, especially on their home floor. It will be interesting to see how things go down, but with that said, we're going with the over.
Jayson Tatum is the favorite to win NBA Finals MVP
As you might have been able to guess, Jayson Tatum is the favorite to win NBA Finals MVP. Tatum, along with Brown, has been nothing short of sensational for the Celtics in recent months and he's been dreaming of this moment for quite some time. Earlier in the spring, Tatum didn't hold back in saying he believed he was the best player in the NBA.
He's been backing up that talk of late, really taking his game to the next level in the postseason. Both he and Brown are incredibly important to this team and they're going to look to make a statement once Game 1 gets here. Dallas will have its hands full trying to slow him down.
Per the oddsmakers, Tatum has -120 NBA odds to win MVP. Brown isn't too far behind him at +150. If the Celtics go on to win the title, which we believe will happen, then look for Tatum to receive the highest individual honor shortly after things come to a close. He's no question our Finals MVP pick.
