The Dallas Mavericks hope to halt a four-game losing streak when they host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night. Dallas has fallen to 19-30 overall and can be pleased with its positioning for the NBA Draft lottery, while Boston comes in with a 31-18 record.
Let’s dive into my Celtics vs. Mavericks predictions dive.
Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks Odds
Moneyline: Celtics -290 / Mavericks +235
Spread: Celtics -7.5 (-110) / Mavericks +7.5 (-110)
Total: Over 223.5 (-110) / Under 223.5 (-110)
Boston Celtics Dallas Mavericks #1 Best Bet: Under 223.5 (-110)
The Celtics are No. 1 in the Eastern Conference in scoring defense (109.1 points per game), trailing only defending champion Thunder in that department in the entire NBA. Not only does Boston have a stout defense, but it also plays at an extremely slow pace. In fact, head coach Joe Mazzulla’s side are last in the league with 99.4 possessions per game. The Mavericks generally have a much more up-tempo style, but in this case they may be content to slow down against such a heavily favored and far superior opponent. Why not try to shorten the game as much as possible in an effort to keep it close?
Either way, Boston is the much better team and therefore should be able to control the pace at their whim. Additionally, Dallas has scored 110 points or fewer in three of the last four games. Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and PJ Washington are out, while Brandon Williams is questionable. Missing that much firepower isn’t a good recipe for success against one of the league’s best defensive teams. The good news for the Mavs is that they lead the entire NBA in three-point shooting percentage defense. This will be a tough game for the Celtics offense considering how much they love to hit three-pointers.
Boston Celtics Dallas Mavericks Best Player Prop Bet: Klay Thompson Over 12.5 points (-110)
The Celtics rank in the bottom half of the league in three-point defense percentage and allow the fifth-most triples (over 14 per game).
Thompson should be able to take advantage of this. With Davis, Washington and Lively out and Williams potentially absent, Thompson will be one of the Mavericks’ top scoring options on Tuesday. The veteran has surpassed that 12.5 mark in six of the last 11 games, reaching double figures seven times during this stretch. Thompson has drained multiple threes in 13 straight games, including four against Charlotte last Thursday and three against Houston on Saturday.
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