The Boston Celtics (64-18) travel to face off against the Dallas Mavericks (50-32) on Friday, June 14th. This game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas and televised on ABC. The Celtics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Mavericks are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Mavericks. Tip-off is set for 8:30 ET.

Celtics vs Mavericks

Heading into the most recent game of this series, the Celtics were 3-point underdogs and came away with a 106-99 victory. The over/under line for the game was 213.5 points, and the teams fell 8.5 points short of that mark. Boston was especially strong in the third quarter, outscoring the Mavericks 35-19. The Celtics were able to cover the spread and picked up a 7-point win.

Defense was the story of this game, as the Mavericks held the Celtics to just 99 points. Boston hit 17 threes, which was a strong performance for them. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics with 31 and 30 points, respectively. Kyrie Irving led all scorers with 35 points, and Luka Doncic added 27.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

This season, the Celtics are averaging 120.6 points per game, which is the second-best mark in the league. Despite their high-scoring offense, they are just 25th in pace, at 97.2 possessions per contest. Boston’s offense is also the league leader in both three-point attempts and three-pointers made, averaging 42.5 attempts and 16.5 makes per game.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have been the Celtics’ top two scorers of late, with Tatum averaging 25.4 points per game in his last five games and Brown at 25.2. Tatum has also been contributing on the glass and as a playmaker, averaging 9.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists in that stretch. For the season, Tatum is averaging 26.9 points per game, while Brown is at 23.

Mavericks Offense Breakdown

This season, Luka Doncic is averaging 33.9 points per game, to go along with 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds. Over his last five games, he is averaging 30.6 points per game on 47.9% shooting. In these games, he hit 3.8 threes per game. Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging 14.4 points per game for the season but has hit just 35.3% of his threes.

Dallas is currently 10th in the league in scoring at home this year, at 116.5 points per contest. Overall, they are 11th in the league, at 117.9 points per game. The Mavericks are 4th in both three-point attempts and makes this season but are just 15th in three-point shooting percentage.

Celtics Team Defense

When it comes to defense, the Boston Celtics have been one of the best teams in the league this season. They are currently ranked 3rd in points allowed per game at 107.7. In their last five games, they have been even better, giving up just 99.8 points per contest.

One of the reasons for their success is their ability to protect the rim. The Celtics are 2nd in the league in blocked shots at 6.6 per game. They are also one of the best teams in the league at defending the two-point shot, allowing opponents to shoot just 52.3% from inside the arc.

Another area where the Celtics have excelled defensively is at the free-throw line. They are currently 1st in the league in free throws made allowed per game at 16.7.

Mavericks Team Defense

So far this season, the Dallas Mavericks have been a middle of the pack defensive team, ranking 15th in points allowed per game at 113.4. They have been slightly better at home, giving up 113.2 points per game.

Over their last five games, the Mavericks have been even better on the defensive end, ranking 6th in points allowed at 105.2 per contest.

On the year, opponents have scored more than their season average 63.4% of the time vs. the Mavericks. In terms of three-point shooting, opponents have made fewer threes than their season average 58.5% of the time.

Overall, Dallas is 13th in field goal percentage allowed at 47.1%.

Key Players For The Celtics And Mavericks

Our projections for today’s game indicate that Jayson Tatum will be the primary scorer for the Celtics, with 27 points and going 9/20 from the field. For the season, he has been averaging 26.9 points per game, in addition to 8.1 rebounds.

As for Dallas, Luka Doncic is projected to be the primary scorer for the Mavericks. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 32, and adding 10 rebounds. This season, he is shooting at a field goal percentage of 48.7%, and his scoring average is 33.9 points per game.

Celtics vs Mavericks Trends

• When looking at their past ten road matchups, Boston has an ATS record of 5-5 while averaging 105 per game. The team went 9-1 overall in these games.
• Through their last ten home games, Dallas has an ATS record of just 7-2-1. However, their overall record was 7-3 while averaging 106 points per game.
• The last three games that Boston was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.
• As the betting favorite, the Mavericks have an ATS mark of just 1-4 in their last five games. Dallas posted a straight up mark of 2-3 in these matchups.

Celtics vs Mavericks Prediction

The Celtics come in as the underdog at +1, making them our top choice on the point spread. We not only expect them to cover the spread but also believe they have a strong chance of winning the game outright, especially if you’re aiming for a higher moneyline payout.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 211.5 and our model has the Celtics and Mavericks finishing with a combined 272 points. Our pick is to take the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.