NBA Playoffs 2022 on Monday, 06.06.2022
The opening game of these NBA Finals is already in the can! The Golden State Warriors are out for revenge in Game 2 against the Boston Celtics, and they have to get it – otherwise it’s going to be tight!
To be down by two games and then try to turn it around in Boston would be almost hopeless! Meanwhile, the odds of the German bookmakers have played a crucial role in my Warriors Celtics prediction.
What has transpired in the first game of these NBA Finals is pure insanity. I was actually right with my Warriors Celtics tip the day before yesterday, but by the end of the 3rd period I almost wanted to throw my betting slip away.
Because Golden State went into the final period with a comfortable 12-point lead before the Green and Whites launched the biggest closing offensive in NBA Finals history so far – final score: 120:108 for the Bostonians!
What helped the C’s succeed in my eyes is the same reason I was willing to take this underdog bet with the bookies in the first place – and that’s their vast playoff experience as well as their irrepressible will to win.
The Celtics flipped a switch in the final quarter, sinking 15 of 22 attempts, including nine from beyond the arc! For the Warriors, on the other hand, almost nothing was going right at that point.
One of the secrets of the C’s success is surely the fact that one of their supposed weak points has now become a real life insurance policy! This refers to their uncanny scoring rate from beyond the line.
The Bucks have already had to make the painful experience of being literally overrun with Boston’s threes. But even in the opening game of this Finals series, more three-point attempts landed in the net than missed (51.2%).
Paradoxically, this puts the Celtics in a position to beat the Warriors at their own game (21:19 three-pointers)! Because Golden State happens to own the best long-range shooter of all time in Stephen Curry, who incidentally finished with 34 points.
The three-point king was the best man for the Californians, but I have the impression that he doesn’t really have much of a chance against Boston’s stout defence. Especially as Derrick White was like a shadow on his heels!
What the Green and Whites also did brilliantly was to stand up to the home side on the boards. With eight points more from the zone, the guests managed to catch their opponents off guard in the decisive moments.
Psychologically, the opening game should have given the guests an enormous boost. Because the Californians now have a real trauma to deal with and now know that no matter with what lead they are in front, the mood could still tip to the end.
The bottom line in my eyes is that Game 2 remains a 55:45 affair in favour of Boston! However, in order to make a betting recommendation, it is important to take a look at today’s Warriors Celtics odds beforehand.
After all, if the C’s win odds in the opener hadn’t been around 2.20, I would have had little real incentive to take that gamble as well!
First and foremost, another win bet on the Celtics, as the Green and Whites’ win odds are at an outrageously high 2.50 despite last night’s win, which smells strongly of a value bet!
For a triumph of the home side, on the other hand, betting odds of 1.50 on average are being offered, which in my opinion are far too low to actually convince me to place a home win bet – even if the Californians are certainly not without a chance.
Conclusion: The Celtics are capable of stepping it up a gear at any point in the game! The men in green already proved this to us in the opening game, when they managed to come back from behind to overcome the biggest deficit in an NBA Finals game.
Boston’s ability to consistently hit from beyond the 3-point line has been a common thread throughout these playoffs, bailing them out even in the most dicey situations.
My Warriors Celtics Pick: I’m betting on the C’s again.
