Sports writers have to come up with articles every single day, which means sometimes having to create drama and excitement where there is none. A lot of ink was spilled over the state of the Boston Celtics at the very start of the season, but those stories are now beginning to look a little silly with the way the Celtics are now playing. Boston will look to keep things rolling when they welcome in the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.
Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics NBA Opening Lines
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 18, 2015 7:30 PM ET Venue: TD Garden Opening Lines: Boston -4.5 (-110), Dallas +4.5 (-110) (Live Stream Option)
25 and 41 having some fun at practice today https://t.co/lhblpMFXgc
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) November 17, 2015
The 1-3 start experienced by the Celtics was more than a little surprising, and there were some who were quick to pronounce them as a team that was perhaps not as good as we thought they might be. The Celtics response was to come out and win 5 of their next 6, which includes the current 3-game winning streak that they are coming into this game with. Boston is now starting to play the way we thought they might, which means scoring points and playing a tight defensive game in their own end. There were always going to be teething pains for a team that is working with a new head coach in Brad Steven. We would all do well to remember what happened in Atlanta with their new coach last season, as they turned a poor start into their best season in franchise history. I am not saying that is what will happen here, but what I am saying is that we may not yet have seen the best this Celtics team has to offer.
The Dallas Mavericks (7-4) are turning into a nice little success story this season, but like the Celtics, perhaps we shouldn’t get too carried away with an early start. It was expected that Dallas would struggle to make the playoffs this season, but they are riding the hot play of Dirk Nowitzki right now to string together a nice little winning streak. The 92-86 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday was expected, but you have to really admire the way the Mavs buckled down in the 4th quarter to grind out a win against a team that was not proving to be an easy out. That win helped carry Dallas to a 4-2 road record this season, and they have to be pretty confident about perhaps getting something in Boston, as they have picked up the win there in 4 of their last 5 visits. The one game they did lose in Boston during that stretch was a 2OT affair that they could well have stolen.
Key NBA Odds Betting Trends
- Dallas is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Dallas is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of Dallas’s last 6 games
- Dallas is 6-14 ATS in its last 20 games on the road
- Boston is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
- Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Boston’s last 7 games
