NBA Finals 2022, Game 3 on Thursday, 09.06.2022
While in Germany the local championship final is just getting started, on the other side of the pond we have already reached Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors.
Sometimes, slight tactical changes and the slightly better performance of a key player can have a huge impact on the course of a series. These two aspects are the focus of my Celtics Warriors betting tip
The Warriors, unlike Game 1, have made some changes that have not only benefited their game, but even resulted in winning at least the second home game.
The same mistake that the Bucks and for long stretches also the Heat made against the Celtics, the Californians were able to avoid the day before yesterday! Allowing Boston open threes has almost always proved disastrous so far.
However, there is a reason why teams prefer to defend the immediate vicinity of the basket against the C’s rather than prevent them from making uncovered throws from downtown! Because a Jayson Tatum – if left unattended – can cause carnage in the zone similar to a fox in a henhouse!
But Golden State was brave in Game 2, and that bravery not only paid off, but could set the tone for the rest of the Series at the same time! For the way the Boston offense suffered from the defensive adjustments of the blue and yellow was eye-popping!
What was the feat of the Warriors? They defended against the opposing trio of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and Al Horford not in a space-oriented manner but suddenly man-to-man, which they did unexpectedly well!
The Celtics converted only 15 three-pointers this time and not 21 again like in the opening game. The Green-Whites were also surprisingly harmless in the zone, scoring only 14 points in the first three quarters!
As a result, I get the impression that Boston could be in trouble again despite home-court advantage, provided the Warriors again resort to their 1-on-1 man-to-man defence – and quite honestly, I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t.
Incidentally, the Californians’ offence was also much better than in the opening game! Not only because of Stephen Curry, who delivered again with 29, but also because Jordan Poole finally made his mark with 17 points.
On top of that, the Warriors had a surprisingly good grip on the Celtics at the board! Because with a ratio of 40 to 24 points from the paint, the Californians have been able to achieve a clear preponderance here.
Two of the last three head-to-head duels have produced a score of less than 200 points, which is amazing! After all, another game under that mark currently results in a quadrupling of the betting amount on the markets.
Since the Warriors’ adjustments on the defensive end have resulted in the C’s scoring fewer points, another low-scoring game tonight should be all the more likely!
Consequently, I’m leaning towards a well-measured over/under bet rather than a win bet on the blue and yellow, as the current Celtics Warriors odds aren’t exactly sparkling on this point.
Conclusion: I had the Celtics ahead on my note in the first game, but in Game 2 the Green and Whites were suddenly beside themselves in the zone and from long range.
Golden State, unlike every other team that has tried their hand at Boston in the playoffs, used a 1-on-1 man-to-man defense the day before yesterday that the C’s couldn’t handle at all.
I expect that the Californians will not deviate from their strategy and want to continue to prevent the home side from getting open threes. Nevertheless, I’m leaning towards a low-scoring game due to the excellent Celtics Warriors odds!
My tip: Once again less than 200 total points!
