The Boston Celtics took care of business in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and now the NBA Finals matchup is set. You have the dynasty of the 2010s, the Golden State Warriors, taking on the classic NBA dynasty of the Boston Celtics, who have 17 NBA titles overall, but just one since 1986.
It was a deserved victory for the Celtics Sunday on the road, starting the game with a lead they never relinquished. In the wire-to-wire victory, Boston had to hold off a number of runs by the Heat.
Now, they get the Warriors in a “rematch” of the historic 1964 NBA Finals when Wilt Chamberlain of the then-San Francisco Warriors went head-to-head against Bill Russell for the first time ever in the Finals. The Celtics won in five games.
Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors Game 1 Odds by BetUs:
| Team | SP/RL | TOTAL | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics | +3½ ( -110 ) | 211½ ( -110 ) | +143 |  |
| Warriors | -3½ ( -110 ) | 211½ ( -110 ) | -163 | |
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NBA Finals Schedule
- Game 1 – Celtics at Warriors, Thursday, June 2
- Game 2 – Celtics at Warriors, Sunday, June 5
- Game 3 – Warriors at Celtics, Wednesday, June 8
- Game 4 – Warriors at Celtics, Friday, June 10
- Game 5 – Celtics at Warriors, Monday, June 13
- Game 6 – Warriors at Celtics, Thursday, June 16
- Game 7 – Celtics at Warriors, Sunday, June 19
NBA Finals Betting Odds
It’s Finals so, of course, why not make some bets? This is one of the best events of the sporting year for series, game and prop wagers.
Game 1 – Warriors (-3½)
Looking ahead to the first game of the Finals, the Warriors are early 3½ -point favorites, as per NBA odds. Golden State is paying -160 on the moneyline, while the Celtics are priced st +135. The totals line for Game 1 in San Francisco is 211½.
In the series wagers that are available eoff that Game 1 result…
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Warriors win Game 1 and Warriors win title | +120 |
| Warriors win Game 1 and Celtics win title | +400 |
| Celtics win Game 1 and Celtics win title | +450 |
| Celtics win Game 1 and Warriors win title | +275 |
NBA Finals Series Bets
In the Finals, betting the Warriors as outright winners is priced at -160, while the Celtics as a “win bet” to win pays at +130.
You can also bet on series spreads that shift the odds one direction or the other.
- Warriors -1½ games (+155), Celtics +1½ games (-190)
- Warriors -2½ games (+325)
- Celtics +2½ games (-450)
- Warriors +1½ games (-275), Celtics -1½ games (+220)
- Warriors +2½ games (-800), Celtics -2½ games (+550)
Series game totals pay out like this:
| Series | Odds |
|---|---|
| 4 ½ games | Over (-1000)/Under (+650) |
| 5 ½ games | Over (-200)/Under (+165) |
| 6 ½ games | Over (+180)/Under (-225) |
Exact game lines come with these odds:
| Games | Odds |
|---|---|
| 4 Games | +650 |
| 5 Games | +260 |
| 6 Games | +175 |
| 7 Games | +180 |
NBA Finals MVP
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Stephen Curry | +100 |
| Jayson Tatum | +150 |
| Jaylen Brown | +1000 |
| Kay Thompson | +1400 |
| Draymond Green | +1400 |
| Jordan Poole | +2500 |
| Marcus Smart | +2800 |
| Andrew Wiggins | +3300 |
| Al Horford | +8000 |
With the Warriors favored to win, naturally, NBA Finals MVP odds have Stephen Curry the favorite to take home the award. Curry has three NBA Championships and two regular-season MVPs. He’s never won a Finals MVP.
Golden State’s Andre Iguodala won in 2015, while the Warriors’ Kevin Durant was a back-to-back winner in 2017-’18. Curry has averaged 26½ points in his NBA Finals career.
Jayson Tatum has averaged 27 points and nearly seven rebounds a game in these playoffs, and he is the top favorite among the Celtics to win the award. He was just named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, the first season it’s been given. Fittingly, it is named for Celtics great Larry Bird.
Generally, the Finals MVP is won by the winning team’s best player. Giannis Antetokounmpo won for the Bucks last year, LeBron James (LA Lakers) the year before that, and Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors) and Durant were the two winners before LBJ won his fourth.
Role players typically don’t win, though the honor to Iguodala in 2015 was the exception.
This is why everyone but Curry and Tatum have long odds in the wagering. It was Iguodala’s defense against James in 2015 that helped him earn the award. If someone does something similar against Curry or Tatum, maybe they can slide in and hijack the hardware.
