The Dallas Mavericks will look to avoid falling into a 3-0 series hole when they battle the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their 2024 NBA Finals matchup on Wednesday. Despite a game effort in Game 2, Dallas fell short, 105-98. The Celtics (64-18), champions of the Atlantic Division and the top-seed in the East, had a league-best plus-11.4 point differential during the regular season. The Mavericks (50-32), champions of the Southwest Division and the fifth-seed in the West, had a plus-2.3 point differential. Kristaps Porzingis (leg) is questionable for Dallas.
The game from American Airlines Center in Dallas will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET. The Celtics are connecting on 47.8% of their shots during the postseason, third-best in the league, while the Mavericks are hitting on 46.8% of their shots, fifth-best. Dallas is a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Celtics vs. Mavericks odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored at 214.5. Before making any Mavericks vs. Celtics picks, be sure to check out what legendary SportsLine handicapper Bruce Marshall has to say.
Synonymous with the The Gold Sheet, the famous sports betting newsletter, for years, Marshall 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 Mavericks vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Mavericks spread: Dallas -2.5
- Celtics vs. Mavericks over/under: 214.5 points
- Celtics vs. Mavericks money line: Dallas -145, Boston +123
- 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
Power forward PJ Washington had his best offensive performance in nearly a month, when he scored 17 points and added seven rebounds in 40 minutes on Sunday. He scored 14 points and added eight rebounds in a 105-98 Game 1 loss. Washington has registered three double-doubles this postseason. In a second-round Game 2 win at Oklahoma City, he scored 29 points, while adding 11 rebounds and four assists. He also had 27 points in Game 3 on May 11 and 21 points and 12 rebounds in Game 4 on May 13.
Small forward Derrick Jones Jr. is coming off an 11-point effort in Game 2, where he also added three rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal. He has played well of late and, in 19 playoff starts, is averaging 9.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and one block in 31.2 minutes of action. He played a decisive role in the Western Conference semifinals Game 6 win over Oklahoma City, scoring a playoff-high 22 points, while adding four rebounds and two assists.See which team to pick here.
Why the Celtics can cover
Shooting guard Jaylen Brown has been red hot of late, and has scored 20 or more points in each of the last six postseason games, including a 40-point effort in a 126-110 Eastern Conference Finals Game 2 win over Indiana on May 23. In 16 playoff starts, he is averaging 24.6 points, six rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals in 37.1 minutes. In Game 1 against Dallas, he poured in 22 points, while adding six rebounds, three blocks, three steals and two assists in just 37 minutes of action. He had 21 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals in 42 minutes in Game 2 against Dallas on Sunday.
Also helping fuel the Boston offense is point guard Derrick White. He has reached double-digit scoring in each of his last seven postseason games. In Game 2 against Dallas, he scored 18 points, while adding five rebounds, three steals, two blocks and two assists. He poured in 15 points, while adding five assists and two rebounds in Game 1. His best game in the playoffs came in Game 4 of their first-round series win over Miami, when he recorded a 38-point, four-rebound, three-block and three-assist effort in a 102-88 victory. He has been red hot from the floor, connecting on 46.5% of his field goals, including 40.4% from 3-point range, and 90.6% from the free-throw line.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.
