After losing back-to-back games for the first time this postseason, the Boston Celtics are on the brink of elimination approaching Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals. They trail the series 3-2 to the Golden State Warriors, who will be looking to close things out on Thursday and win their fourth championship in eight seasons. Steph Curry had a 43-point masterpiece in the Game 4 win in Boston, and he received plenty of help from the likes of Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green in a team effort to take Game 5 in San Francisco.
Game 6 will tip off at 9 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston. Caesars Sportsbook has Boston as the as 3.5-point favorites in the latest Warriors vs. Celtics odds, with the over-under set at 210.5 points. Before finalizing any Celtics vs. Warriors picks, be sure to see the NBA Finals 2022 predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters the second week of the 2022 NBA Finals on a stunning 88-60 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,100. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has locked in its Warriors vs. Celtics picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting trends for Celtics vs. Warriors:
Warriors vs. Celtics spread: Boston -3.5Warriors vs. Celtics over-under: 210 pointsWarriors vs. Celtics money line: Boston -170, Golden State +145Warriors vs. Celtics tickets: See tickets at StubHubBOS: The Celtics are 5-0 ATS in their last five Thursday gamesGS: The Warriors are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall
Featured Game | Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors
Why the Celtics can cover
Forward Jayson Tatum is an all-around talent for the Celtics. Tatum can get a bucket at all three levels with no problem and has court vision to find the open man. The Duke product has a smooth-looking jumper from the mid-range and 3-point land. Tatum also has long arms and plays sound defense. The three-time All-Star is averaging 23.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and seven assists per game. In Game 5, Tatum racked up 27 points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
Williams provides Boston with a physical presence down low. He is a defensive beast who plays with outstanding effort. He can switch and defend multiple positions. The Texas A&M is a glass cleaner and an excellent rebounder. He has pulled down eight-plus boards in three straight games while averaging 2.4 blocks per game.
Why the Warriors can cover
The Warriors’ offense, led by Splash Brothers Curry and Klay Thompson, gets most of the attention, but it’s been Golden State’s efforts on the defensive end that have it leading 3-2. Wiggins has done a superb job defending Tatum, who is shooting just 37.3 percent from the field in the 2022 NBA Finals, and he doesn’t have a single Finals game above 50 percent FG shooting. The Warriors are also forcing turnovers at a higher rate between the two teams, and only one Boston starter had more assists than turnovers in Game 5.
As for the Golden State offense, it’s getting contributions from all over the roster. The Warriors bench scored 31 points in Game 5, compared to the just 10 points Boston got from its reserves. Overall in the series, Golden State has figured out the elite Celtics defense that led the NBA during the regular season by holding opponents to 50 percent in effective FG percentage. The Warriors have a 54 percent effective FG percentage, with room for improvement if Thompson carries over his hot hand in Game 5 to Game 6.
How to make Celtics vs. Warriors picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting 213 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get that NBA Finals pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Warriors vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
