Celtics vs Warriors odds, picks and predictions tonight

The 2022 NBA Finals are in San Francisco as the Golden State Warriors host the Boston Celtics in game one of the championship series on Thursday.

Golden State has been waiting a while to see which peer comes out of the East after the Western Conference Finals wrap up on May 26. Boston again needed seven games to advance and would have three full days off to travel, rest and prepare before the first game, getting 3.5 points down the road.

Check out our free NBA picks and predictions for the Celtics at the Warriors on June 2.

Celtics vs Warriors Game 1 Odds

This probability tool represents The best possibilities available Each betting market has a regulated sports book.

Golden State bettors opened as a favorite on the house from 3.5 points for Game 1 as that spread briefly jumped to -4 before returning to -3.5 (-112) in some stores. The total came to 211.5, dropping to 210.5 before returning to the original figure.

Use the live odds tool above to track any future streak moves live until you receive a tip and be sure to check the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Celtics vs Warriors Game 1 Predictions

The predictions were made on 5/31/2022 at 2:00 PM ET.
Click on each prediction to go to the full analysis.

Celtics vs Warriors Game 1 Info

• rentChase Center, San Francisco, California
• DateThursday 2 June 2022
• warning: 9:00 p.m. Eastern time
• Television: ABC

Celtics Warriors NBA Finals Odds

Celtics: +130
the Warriors: -150

Celtics vs Warriors Game 1 betting preview

Major injuries

Celtics: No injuries to report.
the Warriors: Gary Payton II PJ (Possible), Otto Porter Jr. F (Doubtful), Andre Iguodala SF (Doubtful), James Wiseman C (Out).
Find the latest NBA injury reports.

Betting direction to know

The Warriors weighs 24-8-1 ATS in their last 33 home games vs. A team with a winning path record. Discover more NBA betting trends for Celtics vs. the Warriors.

Celtics vs Warriors Game 1 Picks & Predictions

Our side and total predictions are based on our analysis of streak and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite across all markets.

diffusion analysis

The Celtics showed great heart and winning ability on the road during the playoffs, but I’m a little confused when it comes to the spread of the first game. Before diving into the nitty-gritty between these two clubs, there are clear edges in this opening for the surface-to-surface warriors.

Golden State has the advantage of remaining after wrapping up the West Finals in five games and, overall, is a healthier team in terms of the main rotation. Dubs has the experience advantage of entering the series with a large number of veteran players who will not be blinded by the bright lights of the finals. And at least in the first two games, the Warriors have the advantage of domestic stadiums, as the Celtics have to cross the country and take on a Chase Center crowd that rivals the old Oracle Arena for post-season vicissitudes.

All those corners and edges added up to just 3.5 points?

If the Celtics are going to turn their court in the Finals, the first game is the place to be. After a grueling seven-game winning streak that affected the C-stars, Thursday may be the healthiest we’ve seen this Boston side since before fighting the Bucks.

So while I feel that Game 1’s spread should be more in the Warriors -5.5 range, I could see the odds makers give the Celtics a fighting chance given how well they play away from home (7-2 SU and 8-1 ATS) and the fact that the players Keys like Marcus Smart and Robert Williams have time to recover a bit from the nagging injuries.

Scratching behind those superficial factors, however, he has more ways to win or at least can make easier adjustments if his baking and butter methods don’t work.

Boston needs young superstars Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown to rise to the challenge every night against a defense as stingy as theirs. Let’s not forget that the focus of Steve Kerr’s 2021-2022 campaign is defense, as the Dubs ranked behind the Celtics in the defensive rankings during the regular season.

Kerr could have brought back three important defensive pieces in the finals, with Gary Payton Jr., Otto Porter and Andre Iguodala returning, and put them alongside strongman starters Draymond Green, Kevin Looney and Andrew Wiggins. That’s a lot of new-legged defenders to throw at the Celtics’ superstars.

The Warriors have an advantage in depth over Boston, something Miami had in the East Finals too before Tyler Hero got hurt and Kyle Lowry’s illness rendered him useless. Golden State still relies on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to lead the attack but they have players who can support like Wiggins and Jordan Bull, who can take over the game if the vets are having a bad night.

Boston’s last two opponents were dependent on a single primary bulldozer source and did not have a consistent second shooter to share the load. Giannis Antetokounmpo missed Chris Middleton’s injury, and Jimmy Butler only had 40 goals per night to keep the Heat going. However, Warriors have choices – not just in deciding who to score but how to score.

The Bucks and Heat had assists of just 51.4% and 54.5% against Boston, with Antetokounmpo and Butler getting the ball and everyone watching. Golden State makes you work defensively with plenty of ball movement and action away from basketball, relying on screens and blocks to get your best 66.9% assist in the playoffs. Points can come from anywhere.

This is the Finals game the league wanted, fans and bettors wanted. Hopefully it lives up to the hype and doesn’t follow the path of the blast games we’ve seen in the post-season. Boston has the best shot for stealing a road win in Game 1, but I feel like we’re taking the Dubs off at -3.5.

prediction: Warriors -3.5 (-110 at PointsBet)

Over / Under Analysis

Perhaps the biggest factor in this series is down to the team that can get rid of the chronic condition “butter fingers” first.

The Celtics Warriors had spinning issues during the playoffs, with Boston coughing the ball 15.3 times per game in the East Finals, which earned 17.1 points for turnovers. Golden State wasn’t bad against the Mavericks in the Western Finals but shot 18.2 times per contest versus Memphis in the conference semifinals, costing them 20.3 points per game.

These transitions can translate into easy points on the other end, but they also harm the team’s overall offensive flow. If the two sides exchange spin issues in Game 1, they will cancel each other out on the scoreboard, but give an advantage to lower bettors in terms of disrupting the scoring rhythms of two teams that can get hot.

Golden State wouldn’t have as easy a time scoring in the buckets against Boston as it did against Dallas, which protected the perimeter but largely gave the Warriors clean air indoors without a real rim guard. Williams serves as the C’s in-house goalkeeper, using his height and athletic ability to alter shots and secure defensive rebounds. Golden State, which had an effective field goal average of 58.9% in the latter series, also had the offensive boards and added 14.4 second chance points per outing against Dallas.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Golden State come out meaningless to start Game 1. While the Warriors have an advantage over the rest, this can sometimes leave the team rusty or negative — especially when faced with a new intense action or -die opponent.

As we’ve seen from Golden State so far, this offense needs a little time to kick in (54.4 pts vs 60.1 pts 2). As for the Celtics, the jitters of the NBA Finals and feeling out of that Dubs defense could keep points low in the 12-24-minute opening. This puts the table under supporters, who may feel uncomfortable in the second half when things improve.

prediction: less than 211.5 (-110 at PointsBet)

best bet

While things clearly look stacked against Boston in terms of comfort, experience and location, this Celtics team is perfectly capable of stealing a first-game victory on the road. I just don’t think so.

Golden State is a perfect 9-0 SU inside the Chase center in the postseason and holds a 4-10 year overall record ahead of the Bay Area Believers. Sure, one of those home losses came at the hands of the Celtics back in March, but Curry got hurt in the second quarter and Wiggins got off as well.

Maybe it’s just my memory or individual betting patterns, but I often find myself betting the Warriors money streak rather than setting points when the spread throws me a curve ball. And as mentioned, this game line 1 looks two points less than expected.

As it stands, Dubs isn’t a great point differential pick as a favorite short pick, having only been a 7-5-1 ATS when given -3.5 or less this year. They are, however, 9-4 SU in those tight competitions. We saw this bubble as 2.5 way point chalk in Game 1 vs. Memphis: a 117-116 win you passed the point spread and stuck to the Golden State money line.

We’ll do the same on Thursday, shopping for the lowest odds on the domestic side and hoping for an exciting start to the NBA Finals.

pick or pick: Warrior Money Line (-160 in PointsBet)