Two of the past three NBA champions meet in a 2022 Finals rematch Wednesday as the Golden State Warriors visit the Boston Celtics, who are solid favorites on the NBA odds.
Warriors at Celtics Odds: 2024 NBA Expert Analysis in Week 3
Opening Lines Subject to Change: Celtics -8 (total 229) Expert Prediction: Celtics 116, Warriors 111 |
Golden State Warriors +131
Warriors star Steph Curry returned from a three-game absence due to an ankle injury on Monday night and scored 24 points in 24 minutes in a 125-112 victory, Golden State’s fourth straight win. Curry made 7 of 15 shots from the field, including four 3-pointers, to go with six assists to help the Warriors improve to 6-1. Curry said afterward his ankle felt good and that his minutes restriction should be increased when the Warriors have a rematch of the 2022 NBA Finals on Wednesday in Boston. Curry is 10 points shy of tying Hall of Famer Charles Barkley (23,757) for 30th on NBA all-time scoring list.
Steph Curry
“That’s why this was important to get through this game,” Curry said. “Where I could play aggressively, but it wasn’t stretching to too many minutes. “But the rest of this road trip is tough. We got three tough teams, and we want to keep building momentum so I’m sure I’ll play more, but I feel good enough to do it.”
Steph Curry talks about being careful with his minutes restrictions, ahead of Boston matchup:
— AK (@Sudharsan_AK10) November 5, 2024
"My ankle feels fine. I've been through plenty of those episodes (ankle injury). The rest of this road trip is tough. I'm sure I'll play more but I feel good"#DubNation pic.twitter.com/PHkjwtqUKa
Buddy Hield
Hield continued his hot start with 20 points and five rebounds. The Warriors boast one of the best bench units in the NBA, and Hield is a significant reason for this. Counting Monday, he’s scored 20 points or more in four straight and six of seven games. Hield leads the Warriors in scoring (21.9 ppg) and 3-pointers made (33).
The Warriors scored 60 bench points at Washington, and have had 50-or-more points in six of the first seven games this season (6-0 in those games). This is the first time the Warriors have recorded at least 50 bench points six times in any single season seven-game span since starters were first tracked in 1970-71, per the Elias Sports Bureau. The last NBA team to do it was the Pacers from Jan. 1-12, 2024 (in six of seven).
Draymond Green
Green tallied 18 points Monday, Jonathan Kuminga had 15 points, Trayce Jackson-Davis added 12 points and Moses Moody scored 10 points as a reserve. Kevon Looney grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds off the bench. After tallying 16 points in Golden State’s first four games, Green has scored 14 or more in three straight. Guard Brandin Podziemski (illness) is in some question on Wednesday after leaving Monday’s loss with an illness.
Steve Kerr
Kerr recorded his 800th game as a head coach, becoming the 50th to reach the milestone and the 18th to do so with one team (second in franchise history, joining Alvin Attles).
The last three games of this road trip are against division leaders (Boston, Cleveland, Oklahoma City) with a combined 22-1 overall record (9-0 home). Golden State has won 21 of its last 25 road games. The last time Golden State accomplished this was during the 2017-18 season, Oct. 23, 2017 to Feb. 2, 2018. The Warriors have won their first four road games for the second straight season (started the 2023-24 campaign 4-0 on the road).
^Boston Celtics -182
Boston (7-1) remains the heavy favorite to repeat as NBA champion and won its third game in a row Monday, 123-93 in Atlanta. It helped that Hawks guard Trae Young left the game in the third quarter with a right rib strain. He was 1 for 10 from the floor and finished with two points and six assists in 23 minutes. Young entered Monday’s game with at least 10 points and five assists in 70 consecutive games. But the Celtics lost both games in Atlanta last season, blowing a 30-point lead in one game and losing the other in overtime.
Jayson Tatum
Tatum led Boston with 28 points, nine assists and six boards on Monday. Tatum got off to a hot start in this game with 16 points in the first quarter alone. It marked the third time he’s reached that number in an opening frame in eight games this season. No other player in the league has done so more than once. It also gave Tatum 106 first-quarter points on the campaign, which at the time was 44 points more than the next-closest player on the leaderboard, Anthony Davis (62 first-quarter points).
“I’m trying to start the game off more aggressive,” Tatum said. “In earlier years, I’ve been more relaxed or eased my way into the game, so just trying to change that a little bit.” The All-Star is averaging career-highs for assists, steals, 3-pointers and field goal percentage and could have even better numbers if he wasn’t having the worst free throw shooting season of his career at 77.9%.
Jayson Tatum to start the season
— Celtics Junkies (@Celtics_Junkies) November 5, 2024
37 PTS, 10 AST
25 PTS, 11 REB
37 PTS, 4 REB
15 PTS, 8 REB
37 PTS, 8 REB
32 PTS, 11 REB
29 PTS, 7 REB
28 PTS, 9 AST
Boston is 7-1 🔥 pic.twitter.com/lDesbHbBwC
Neemias Queta
Queta got a rare start on Monday and contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, one steal and one block with a plus-31 rating. Queta got the starting nod in this game, replacing Luke Kornet, who had started Boston’s last two games.
Jaylen Brown
All-Star Brown missed a second straight game, and it’s unclear if he’ll be back for their next one on Wednesday. If he remains sidelined, there is certainly a chance that Queta ends up getting another start. Brown tweaked his hip last Friday. Brown became the first player in Celtics history to record at least 23 points and six rebounds in the first six games to start a season, passing Larry Bird’s previous record of five games (1984; 1986).
The Celtics have now won 16 straight games when Brown does not play. Brown is set to have a second MRI to address his hip flexor issue. Boston also remains without another All-Star starter in big man Kristaps Porzingis, who is yet to play this season and not particularly close to doing so. All the C’s care about is that he is healthy for the playoffs.
^How to Watch and Bet Warriors at Celtics Odds
When: Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET
Where: TD Garden
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Warriors vs Celtics Series History
Golden State beat Boston in the 2022 NBA Finals for the Warriors’ last title – and almost surely their last in the Steph Curry era. The teams split last regular season. The Celtics won 140-88 at home. Jaylen Brown scored 29 points, Jayson Tatum had 27 and Boston posted its third-largest winning margin in franchise history. It led by a franchise-record 44 points at halftime and pushed it to 51 early in the third quarter before coach Joe Mazzulla went to his reserves the rest of the way. Stephen Curry didn’t play the second half and finished with just four points for the Dubs. Warriors Co-Executive Chairman & CEO Joe Lacob was a minority owner of the Celtics for five years (which included the 2008 NBA Championship) before selling his minority stake to purchase the Warriors.
NBA STANDINGS UPDATE:
— NBA (@NBA) November 5, 2024
▪️ CLE and OKC remain unbeaten
▪️ BOS moves to 7-1, PHX and GSW to 6-1
Download the NBA App for more ⤵️ https://t.co/wV1YsrFUXw pic.twitter.com/tshswpFLib
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2022 Warriors vs Celtics, NBA Finals, Game 3
The City of Boston will host an NBA Finals game for the first time in 12 years on Wednesday night as the Celtics face the Golden State Warriors in Game 3. The C’s are favored on the NBA odds to take a 2-1 series lead.
How to Bet Warriors at Celtics NBA Odds & TV Info
- When: Wednesday, 9 PM ET
- Where: TD Garden
- TV: ABC
- Stream: ESPN app
- Radio: ESPN radio
- NBA Odds: Celtics -3.5 (total 212.5)
Why Bet on Golden State?
The Warriors blew open Game 2 in the third quarter on the way to a 107-88 victory in Game 2 to even the series. Golden State outscored the Celtics, 35-14, in the third quarter for a 23-point advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Golden State closed out the third quarter on a 19-2 run capped off by a 39-foot 3-pointer by Jordan Poole and never looked back. The Warriors have outscored the Celtics, 73-38, in the third quarter in the two games.
Poole finished with 17 points and drained five 3-pointers. He became the youngest in Finals history to make that many 3-pointers in a game. Poole’s 39-foot attempt with 1.5 seconds left in the third quarter was the third-farthest shot made in the regular season or playoffs he’s made in his career (52 ft on 5/10/21 vs. Utah and 47 ft on 11/24/21 vs. Philadelphia).
Poole also has made 24 straight free throws in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, the seventh-longest streak in a single postseason in Warriors franchise history. Stephen Curry holds the franchise record for the most consecutive without a miss in a single postseason, 43, in the 2019 NBA Playoffs. Curry finished with 29 points, six rebounds and four assists. He’s averaging 26.8 points, 6.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds in his NBA Finals career.
Kevon Looney had 12 points 6-for-6 shooting with seven rebounds over 21 minutes in the win. Looney hounded Boston defensively and co-led the Warriors with a booming plus-24 in the box score. The Dubs are 5-0 following a loss in this year’s playoffs, outscoring their opponents by an average of 15.4 in those games. The points per game difference ranks as the fifth-highest in the last 50 seasons.
The Warriors have 26 consecutive playoff series in which they have won at least one road game, an NBA record streak that began with a road victory in Denver in the 2013 NBA Playoffs Western Conference First Round. Draymond Green (26), Klay Thompson (26) and Curry (25) are the only players to win at least one road game in every playoff series they’ve played in (minimum 20). Curry missed the 2018 First Round series vs. San Antonio.
The Warriors have a 37-32 record in Game 3s in the playoffs, including 14-9 since 2015. Golden State has won its last three Game 3s. In the NBA Finals, the Warriors have a 7-4 all-time record (2-3 since 2015).
Andre Iguodala (right knee inflammation) is considered questionable for Game 3 on Wednesday. Iguodala played 12 minutes in Game 1, finishing with seven points and three rebounds. He ended up missing Game 2 with knee soreness.
Why Bet on Boston?
The Celtics lost Game 2 because they shot just 4-for-17 in the third quarter on Sunday and committed five turnovers that became 11 Warriors points. Golden State, meanwhile, went 7-for-12 from 3-point range, as Stephen Curry matched Boston’s point total by himself. The Celtics have been outscored by at least 14 points four times in the third quarter in these playoffs — all of which have come on the road. Three of those games have been Boston’s three road losses in these playoffs.
“Yeah, it’s definitely frustrating,” Celtics guard Derrick White said. “I mean, we’ve talked about it pretty much the whole postseason. It’s easy to talk about, but we’ve got to go out there and change something.”
Jayson Tatum had a fine night offensively, scoring 28 points while making 6-of-9 3-pointers. But he didn’t have much help. After scoring 26 in Game 1, Al Horford only had two points in Game 2. Marcus Smart scored just two points, too, and had five turnovers. After his 13-point first quarter, Jaylen Brown was just 1-of-11 from the field for the rest of the game. Tatum was a career-worst minus-36 overall. It was also the worst individual game number in NBA Finals history.
The Celtics should still feel decent about a 1-1 split out west and stealing a game on a court where the Warriors had been undefeated this postseason, but it only matters if they take care of business at TD Garden. Boston is an improbably bad 3-4 at home over the last two rounds.
Center Robert Williams (left knee soreness) is questionable to play in Game 3. Williams was cleared to play in Game 2, but he only ended up playing 14 minutes. He went down after Smart fell into his knee, and he tried to play through it. He ended up not seeing much time the rest of the game, though Coach Ime Udoka said that he is just fine. If he can’t play, Grant Williams will likely slide back into the starting unit.
Game Trends
- Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games.
- Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Celtics are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games following a ATS loss.
- Celtics are 6-2 ATS in their last 8 Wednesday games.
- Warriors are 1-3-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Boston.
Expert Prediction
- Celtics 109, Warriors 106
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