Doncic in the footsteps of Nowitzki?

In the past ten seasons, the representative from the Eastern Conference has only won the NBA Finals three times

This time, however, Boston is the favorite to win the championship as the representative from the East. The Celtics had the best record of any team in the NBA during the regular season. They are also in the final for the second time in the past three seasons. For the visitors, it is only the second time in their franchise history that they have reached the NBA Finals.

In Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, the forecast includes more than 31.5 points by Luka Doncic for the visitors. If you want to join the NBA Finals prediction, you will find suitable odds at Neobet, where you can also choose from a welcome bonus

Boston Celtics – Statistics & current form

The co-record champions have not made a dent in the 2024 NBA Playoffs so far. The Celtics have only lost two games in the three previous rounds and recently even swept the Pacers out of the competition.

They are also hoping that their center Kristaps Porzingis will now be able to get back into the action on court. The “big man” has so far had to miss the postseason due to injury, but there are now signs of him making a comeback

Boston is strong at home

The hosts also rely on home court advantage against Dallas. Six of the eight home games played in the postseason ended with a win for coach Joe Mazzulla’s team and in the regular season, the TD Garden was the ultimate fortress in the NBA. 90.2 percent of the home games before the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs were won by the Celtics!

Moreover, Jayson Tatum has improved more and more over the course of the postseason. Although his scoring value is still slightly below the yield during the regular season, Tatum increased his rebounds by an average of more than two boards per game to 10.4.

Next double-double by Tatum?

In view of this, bets and odds on a double-double by him in Game 1 of the NBA Finals 2024 between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks are also recommended. A feat he has only failed to achieve in one of the past seven games

Dallas Mavericks – Statistics & current form

The Texans are dreaming of the second title in their franchise history. In 2011, an unleashed Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavs to the championship and now Luka Doncic is set to take over this role. The Slovenian delivered a string of triple-doubles in the postseason and has a congenial teammate in Kyrie Irving in the offense.

For “Uncle Drew”, the duels with Boston are also always very special games, as he also played for the Celtics during his career. However, his time in Boston was not very successful, which is why the crowd at TD Garden has been on a war footing with him ever since.

Mavs like to travel

Furthermore, coach Jason Kidd’s team is countering the Celtics’ aforementioned home strength with very stable performances away from home of late. They have won all of their last five away games in the postseason!

The visitors have impressed first and foremost from a defensive perspective, as their opponents have only scored a maximum of 110 points in these games. Against this backdrop, the prediction that the home side will also score no more than 110 points in the clash between the Celtics and Mavericks seems even more profitable

Boston Celtics – Dallas Mavericks head-to-head comparison / H2H record

The last head-to-head meeting took place in March this year and ended with a clear home win for the Celtics. In the end, the basketball players from the “Bean City” had a 28-point lead over the Mavs.

Thanks to the victory, the home side are unbeaten in four matches against the basketball team from the Lone Star State.

Boston Celtics – Dallas Mavericks betting tip

For Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, the forecast is for Luka Doncic to score more than 31.5 points. The visiting guard has been very reliable in the postseason and will once again lead the way as the Texans’ franchise player.

On top of that, Doncic already proved in the regular season that he can hold his own in scoring even against the defensively strong Celtics. The 25-year-old, who was picked at No. 3 in the 2018 draft, averaged 35 points.

The prediction is also supported by the fact that he has recently improved once again. In the last series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are no less strong defensively than the Celtics, he averaged 32.4 points, his best haul in a series in the 2024 NBA Playoffs!