Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks Prediction, NBA Odds

Edgar Chaput | Updated Jan 05, 2023

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The Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics will aim to snap a two-game slide when they travel to Dallas to face the Mavericks on Thursday.

Boston
50-23
AT
January 05, 2023, 7:30 PM ET
American Airlines Center
Dallas
36-37
Pointspread -3 -110
Moneyline -153
Over / Under o +232

45%

Betting Action

55%

Matchup NBA Odds
Pointspread +3 -110
Moneyline +128
Over / Under u +232

45%

Betting Action

55%

Matchup NBA Odds

The Boston Celtics need to stop a two-game losing streak on Thursday night but standing in their way are the red-hot Dallas Mavericks.

Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics haven’t made life easy for themselves with a disappointing start to 2023. The Mavericks, on the other hand, have handily vanquished a lineup of comparatively easy foes.

Boston nevertheless sits as -2 favourites on the NBA odds, with the over-under settled at 230 points.

Celtics vs. Mavericks NBA Betting Odds

This is the second of two scheduled meetings between Boston and Dallas on the calendar. The initial encounter transpired about a month and a half ago in November at TD Garden. The home side showed its prowess with a rather convincing 125-112 victory.

Prior to that, the Texan-based outfit had gotten the better of Boston four consecutive times. None of the contests were decided by more than five points. In three meetings, only three points separated the sides. Doncic famously sank a stunning three-point shot at the buzzer in November 2021.

For a squad that’s earned its spurs nicely for the better part of the campaign, Boston hasn’t blown bettors away when trying to cover the spread. A 20-17-1 record is by no means a disaster, but nor is it the sort of record one thinks a club vying for the top seed in a conference would merit. Things have been rough since heading out west in early December, as they have only covered three of their last 12 attempts.

As for the Mavs, they’re a curious case of a solid campaign not translating to success for bettors. A 22-16 record gives them a good chance of finishing in the top four in the Western Conference, but they only have a 13-22-2 tally ATS to show for their efforts. Evidently, Dallas is often involved in close games, irrespective of the opposition’s prospects. They haven’t covered -7.5 and -5.5 spreads despite still defeating teams like the Rockets and Spurs.

Boston Celtics

Boston’s travels began in Denver on New Year’s Day. Fitting given that each organization sat atop its respective conference at the time. It wasn’t a terrible outing, but the first quarter did the visitors in. The Nuggets took a nine-point lead into the second quarter and never allowed the Celtics to go on a significant run, eventually winning 123-111.

If that didn’t smart, what happened Tuesday in Oklahoma did. Playing the Thunder, a 15-21 club, felt like the perfect remedy, yet it was anything but. The 150-117 defeat was the worst of the season by a considerable margin. The Thunder cracked by committee, with five players surpassing the 20-point mark, including native Montrealer Luguentz Dort (23). Consider that the home side racked up 88 total points in the second and third quarters alone. Direct lanes to the basket were open all night, as evidenced by the gobsmacking 70-46 advantage of points in the paint.

Dallas Mavericks

It feels too easy to simply talk about superstar Luka Doncic when highlighting Dallas’ recent success, but the reality is he’s on a very special tear. He’s already averaging 34 points per game, aided in part by his beguiling run of amazing nights. Doncic had 50 on Dec. 23, 32 on Christmas, 60 on Dec. 27, 35 on Dec. 29, 51 on New Year’s Eve, and 39 on Jan. 2. All wins of course. Utter madness.

Another truth lies behind those stats: teammates need to step up. Dallas has a fine set of players, but when considering that only one of those games was decided by more than nine points, who knows how many they win if Doncic doesn’t go out of his mind.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Celtics vs. Mavericks?

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  • -3 +3
  • DAL
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