Celtics vs Warriors Game 1 betting picks – NBA Finals 2022

The NBA Finals tip off at 6pm PT this Thursday night, and it’s slated to be an epic conclusion to this season’s playoffs. The Boston Celtics will travel across the country and try to beat a Golden State team that has won three of the last eight NBA championships. Of course, this Warriors outfit is very different from those championship teams, but the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is back. This is a series that could truly go either way. Here are some picks for game one.

Points spread: Golden State Warriors -3.5

While we picked the Celtics to win this series, game one may be a tough task for them. First of all, Boston have just played two seven-game series and will be tired for this one. Not to mention, they have to fly across the country.

The Warriors have won their last two series in five and six games respectively, so they will be better rested. They also have the edge in experience, as the aforementioned core of Curry, Thompson and Green will each be playing in their eighth NBA Finals game and should be ready for the moment.

The Celtics, on the other hand, have no players who have played in the NBA Finals, so the atmosphere could be a little bit of a shock to their system – especially playing away in game one. Of course, the Celtics have some good players who will be able to carry them in this series, but in game one we are siding with experience.

To score 20+ points: Jordan Poole

Jordan Poole is a great shooter for the Warriors who could be the key to this series. The Warriors have plenty of great offensive weapons, but the Celtics defense will be as capable of guarding them as anyone. Their defensive focus will go towards Curry and Thompson, and that could leave Poole with plenty of opportunities. Poole is shooting nearly 40% on three-pointers this post-season and will make the Celtics pay if they leave him open. In game one, expect the Celtics to leave him open and adjust in the future if he goes off. At these odds with Bovada, we are betting on him to score at least 20 and be a big part of the Warriors offense.

First team to 20 points: Golden State Warriors

This plays into the Celtics being tired and potentially not ready for the moment. We expect them to come out a little slow and perhaps be a little shellshocked by the crowd. The Warriors’ arena will be ready for their return to the finals, and that could energize this Golden State team. If that happens, this bet will hit easily. It definitely is a high-variance bet, but when one looks at all the factors, the Warriors make sense for this pick.

Team with most rebounds: Boston Celtics

The Celtics should have a rebounding advantage throughout this series. The Warriors will likely try to play small ball as their best big man is Draymond Green. While Draymond is a great player, he is not very tall and that should be beneficial to the Celtics. The Warriors have a center named Kevon Looney, but he is a liability offensively and it’s unlikely he plays a lot of minutes. The Celtics will have one of Al Horford or Robert Williams on the floor for most of this game, and when they play, they will get a ton of rebounds. This is a clear area where the Celtics should win, and although it may not result in a game one victory, it will cash this bet.

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