Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors Game 2 Prediction, NBA Odds

Jordan Ramsay | Updated Jun 03, 2022

The Boston Celtics came to play, handing the Golden State Warriors their first home loss of these playoffs in the opening game of the NBA Finals, but this series looks like it could go the distance as the teams prepare for Game 2 on Sunday night.

Boston
51-31
AT
June 05, 2022, 8:00 PM ET
Chase Center
Golden State
53-29
Pointspread +4.5 -102
Moneyline +178
Over / Under o +213.5

28%

Betting Action

72%

Pointspread -4.5 -118
Moneyline -214
Over / Under u +213.5

28%

Betting Action

72%

The Warriors shocked NBA fans on Thursday and not in the way they would have hoped.  Golden State blew a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and dropped Game 1 of the NBA Finals 120-108 at home against the Boston Celtics.  Can the Warriors bounce back in Game 2 on Sunday, or will the Celtics take significant 2-0 series lead back to Boston?

Golden State opened as a 4-point favourite to win on the NBA odds, with a total of 215.5.

Celtics vs. Warriors NBA Playoffs Betting Odds

The Celtics have now won two of three meetings against Golden State this year, picking up both dubs at Chase Center.  The Over hit in two of those three games, including Game 1 of this playoff series.  Dating back to 2019, Boston is actually a dominant 7-1 straight up in the last eight head-to-heads between these teams.

The Celtics have had no issues handling Golden State, winning their last five road games against the Warriors.  They’ve also heavily rewarded bettors lately, going 13-1 against the spread in their last 14 road games.  Boston has flipped the script and now sit as -182 favourites to win the series after opening Game 1 as +121 series underdogs.

Golden State likely feels confident about a bounce-back performance in Game 2 as they had been riding a 12-game home winning streak prior to the Game 1 loss.  They have managed to go 5-2 ATS in their last seven games overall, but they’ve failed to cover in five of their last six games against Eastern Conference opponents.  The Warriors are +135 series underdogs after opening the series as -161 favourites.

Boston Celtics

Boston did what no other team has been able to do in these playoffs and that’s hand Golden State a loss at home.  Trailing by 12 points heading into the fourth quarter, the Celtics made their first seven three-pointers of the quarter and put the game away.  They outscored Golden State 40-16 in the period.  Al Horford put up a team-high 26 points in the game, while Jaylen Brown added 24 points and seven rebounds.  The duo combined to score 21 points in the fourth quarter.  Derrick White was also a major factor and finished with 21 crucial points off the bench, including five three-pointers.

Jayson Tatum struggled shooting the ball in Game 1 and finished 3-of-17 from the field for just 12 points.  On the positive side, however, Tatum’s shooting struggles forced him to impact the game defensively and through his playmaking ability.  He finished with a game-high 13 assists, which is an NBA record for most assists in a Finals debut.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors will be kicking themselves after somehow turning a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter into a 12-point loss.  Golden State put up a huge 38-point performance in the third quarter, before being held to 16 points in the fourth.  It was the biggest blown lead in an NBA Finals game in 30 years and a rare Game 1 loss under head coach Steve Kerr.  The Warriors are 21-3 in Game 1’s during Kerr’s tenure.

The blame for the Game 1 loss doesn’t fall at Steph Curry’s feet.  Curry set an NBA Finals record for three-pointers in a single quarter with six three’s in the first quarter on Thursday.  His 21 points in the quarter was the most points scored in the first quarter of any NBA Finals game over the last 50 years.  Curry finished the night with a game-high 34 points.

Andrew Wiggins also made an impact with 20 points.  Defensively, Wiggins was able to hold Tatum to just 1-of-7 shooting from the field when Wiggins was the primary defender.  Draymond Green was also solid defensively and added 11 rebounds, but he struggled shooting from the field, going 2-of-12 and finishing the game with only four points.

NBA Prediction: Who Will Win Celtics vs. Warriors?

NBA Predictions
SportsInteraction