The Boston Celtics will look to move one step closer to their record 18th NBA championship when they take on the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Wednesday. The Celtics, who are tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for most NBA titles, are coming off a 105-98 win in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead. The Celtics (64-18), who are 14-2 this postseason, are on a nine-game winning streak since losing to Cleveland 118-94 in Game 2 of the second round. The Mavericks (50-32), the fifth seed in the West, are 12-7 during the 2024 NBA playoffs. Boston leads the all-time series 48-40, including a 2-0 edge during the postseason.
Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. The Mavericks are 1.5-point favorites in the latest Celtics vs. Mavericks odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 212.5. Before making any Celtics vs. Mavericks picks, be sure to check out what legendary SportsLine handicapper Bruce Marshall has to say.
An in-demand guest on numerous sports talk radio and TV shows across the country, Marshall’s vast array of editorial work has been featured in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the New York Post and many other outlets. He has won various handicapping titles and also is working on several book projects. Marshall has crushed his NBA picks this season for SportsLine members, entering this matchup on a 196-145-3 run that has returned nearly $3,700 for $100 players. Anybody following is way up.
Now, he has set his sights on Celtics vs. Mavericks and just locked in his picks and NBA Finals predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the NBA lines and trends for Celtics vs. Mavericks:
- Celtics vs. Mavericks spread: Dallas -1.5
- Celtics vs. Mavericks over/under: 212.5 points
- Celtics vs. Mavericks money line: Dallas -126, Boston +106
- BOS: The Celtics have hit the first-half money line in 40 of their last 47 away games (+29.75)
- DAL: The Mavericks have hit the game total Under in 26 of their last 38 games at home (+12.80 units)
- Celtics vs. Mavericks picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Mavericks can cover
Point guard Luka Doncic registered his second triple-double over the past four games on Sunday, scoring 32 points, while adding 11 assists, 11 rebounds and four steals in 42 minutes of action. It is his third consecutive 30-plus point total as well, and he has scored 30 or more points 10 times this postseason. He has played well against Boston this year, and averaged 35 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists and one steal in two regular-season games. In 19 postseason games, all starts, Doncic is averaging 29 points, 9.7 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 41.4 minutes.
Point guard Kyrie Irving reached double-digit scoring for the ninth consecutive game in Sunday’s Game 2 loss. He finished with 16 points, six assists and two rebounds in 41 minutes. Boston seems to bring the best out of Irving. In two regular-season games, he averaged 21 points and five rebounds. In 19 postseason games, all starts, Irving is averaging 21.9 points, 5.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 40.1 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why the Celtics can cover
Center Kristaps Porzingis once again made his presence felt in Game 2 of the series on Sunday. In just 23 minutes of action, the former 2015 first-round pick of the New York Knicks, scored 12 points, grabbed four rebounds and added two blocks. He scored 20 points and added six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes of play in Game 1. Despite missing much of the postseason due to injury, Porzingis is averaging 13.5 points, five rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.3 assists in 24.8 minutes of work.
Small forward Jayson Tatum continues to set the pace on offense for the Celtics. In Game 2, he registered his fourth double-double in a row with 18 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. He had 16 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and one block in Game 1. Dallas seems to bring out the best in Tatum. In two regular-season games this year, he averaged 35.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, four assists, 1.5 steals and one block. In 16 postseason games, all starts, he is averaging 24.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and one steal in 40.9 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Celtics vs. Mavericks picks
Marshall is leaning Under on the point total. He has also identified a critical X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. You can only see his NBA picks and analysis at SportsLine.
So who wins Mavericks vs. Celtics in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals, and which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Mavericks spread to jump on, all from the expert who has returned nearly $3,700 on his NBA picks this season, and find out.
