The NBA Finals are perfectly poised as the Boston Celtics return home this evening after a two-game road trip against the Golden State Warriors. Going into Game 3, the series is level at 1-1, and after a shaky start, the Warriors roared to a 107-88 win over the Celtics last weekend. For the Celtics, they will be looking to capitalize on home advantage. They will need to be better with their decision making and execution if they are going to regain the lead in the series.
As always, the stakes are high, but there are a few intriguing stats to bear in mind ahead of Game 3:
- This is the 40th time that an NBA Finals series has been split after the first two games.
- On the previous 39 occasions, the team that has won Game 3 has won the Championship 82.1% of the time (32-7).
- In Game 2, the Celtics scored just 88 points on 98 possessions, which was much lower than Game 1 when they scored 120 points on 93 possessions.
- Since the first round of playoffs, the Celtics’ record at TD Garden stands at 3-4.
This has all the ingredients to be a mouth-watering clash and will make for compelling viewing for NBA fans and online basketball bettors alike. So, to whet your appetite, we have handpicked a few juicy tips for you to sink your teeth into.
Golden State Warriors to make their move
When there’s so much riding on the outcome of a game, it can be whoever blinks first, falters. The Celtics’ lack of home stability is a cause for concern especially when they came unstuck at TD Garden against the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat. Of course, if the Celtics can win their three home games in the series, then they will be crowned champions, but that is a tall order.
As far as the Warriors are concerned, Steve Kerr has some big decisions to make, including whether to bench Klay Thompson, whom he has admitted has been trying to force things to happen too much, while Jordan Poole has proved he is not fazed during the fourth quarter of any game.
Nevertheless, the Warriors will have the wind in their sails after their blowout victory over the Celtics in Game 2. If you are leaning towards the Moneyline section, then SugarHouse is offering an intriguing price of +133 for the Warriors to prevail in Game 3.
Steph Curry to enhance MVP case
Steph Curry invariably has an impact in the NBA Finals, and in Game 3, he will be desperate to strengthen his case to be named MVP once again. In Game 2, Curry drained a game-high 29 points and it was an all-action display as he also claimed three steals and he helped force 19 turnovers.
Curry has been an ever-reliable presence and in the playoffs, he has drilled 72 3-pointers, marking the fifth time he has successfully connected with attempts from the deep. To put this into context, the rest of the NBA has only achieved this feat twice and Curry’s team-mate Thompson was one of them.
Inevitably, Curry will be paramount to the Warriors this series and in Game 3, he could end up on top of the heap points scoring wise. SugarHouse is dishing up a price of -118 for Curry to net Over 28.5 points, which is certainly worth exploring.
Don’t expect a tight game
If we are to take a cursory glance at Games 1 and 2, neither were particularly close in terms of the final scoreline. In Game 1, the Celtics claimed a 12-point victory while in Game 2, 19 points separated the Warriors and the Celtics. Of course, the Celtics will be desperate to put a show on for the fans, but it could be another humbling evening for them.
The winning margin market looks rather tempting. BetMGM has odds available of +1000 for Warriors to win by a margin of 11-15 points, which may seem rather long, but also too tempting to overlook.
