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The Golden State Warriors will be home to face the Boston Celtics for Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
The Warriors have been off since last Thursday, when they defeated the Dallas Mavericks. The Celtics won Game 7 on the road in Miami on Sunday. These teams split the season series at one game apiece, with the road team coming out on top in each contest.
The Warriors have had six full days of rest, and they'll be back in the finals for the sixth time in the past eight years. Now that they're fully healthy, barring a few bench players, Golden State has been pretty dominant in the postseason.
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They lost just four games in the first three rounds. At home in the playoffs, the Dubs are undefeated at Chase Center in nine games. They have also covered seven of these nine games and were the second-best home team against the spread in the regular season.
"In case you don't know, the Warriors have won 13 straight Game 1s at home." - Warriors Nation
Stephen Curry averaged 23.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game last round and was rightfully awarded Western Conference finals MVP. The Warriors shot over 48% from the field in four of the five games against the Mavericks.
However, it'll be difficult to replicate this kind of efficiency against the defensively stout Celtics. Boston led the league in defensive rating this year and, as long as their key players are healthy, it'll always be a grind to score on this Celtics team.
"Defense first" - Boston Celtics
Boston finds themselves in the finals for the first time since 2010, when they lost to the Lakers in seven games. In this year's playoffs, the Celtics have seen their previous two series reach seven games.
In the postseason, they have a combined record of 12-6. Jayson Tatum averaged 25.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game in the conference finals. He'll be counted on to be the go-to guy in every game this series.
Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics Match Details
Fixture: Boston Celtics @ Golden State Warriors
Date & Time: Thursday, June 2nd, 9:00 P.M. EDT
Venue: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics Betting Odds
These teams have been excellent against the spread in the postseason. Boston has covered 12 of their last 17 games while Golden State has covered five of their previous six.
The total has gone under in the previous seven meetings in the Bay. With arguably the two best defensive teams in the NBA squaring off, we could definitely see a lower-scoring contest in Game 1.
Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics Best Picks
Steph Curry is no stranger to this stage, as Thursday will mark his 29th career NBA Finals game. In his last four finals appearances, he's recorded six assists in four consecutive games. Expect him to look to set up his teammates in Game 1.
Pick: Stephen Curry Over 5.5 Assists (-118)
Jayson Tatum will be making his finals debut on Thursday, and it's likely that he'll have some nerves entering the biggest game of his career.
He averaged 4.7 turnovers per game last series against a great defensive Miami team. Since he'll have more touches than normal, expect him to try and force the action a little bit too much on Thursday.
Pick: Jayson Tatum Over 3.5 Turnovers (-105)
Draymond Green has plenty of finals experience. He's posted averages of 12.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists on this stage. Even though he may not look to score quite as much compared to when he was younger, he should still be a force on the glass and as a playmaker.
Pick: Draymond Green Total Points, Rebounds, and Assists Over 21.5 (-115)
Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics Betting Prediction
The Warriors have been unstoppable at home in the playoffs. Although Boston has been one of the better teams in the NBA against the spread, Golden State's experience should give them the edge in Game 1.
Expect the home team to have the lead through the first half and for this game to be slower-paced than anticipated.
Prediction: Golden State Warriors First Half -1.5 (-110) & Under 213.5 (-110)
