Celtics vs. Warriors NBA Finals Game 2 Odds, Preview and Pick (Archive)
After the Boston Celtics defeated the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, can we automatically assume that the Warriors will win Game 2 to avoid a 2-0 deficit at home?
Not so fast… Let’s see what the NBA odds tell us at the top sportsbooks!
Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors
Sunday, June 05, 2022 – 08:00 PM EDT at Chase Center
Celtics Game 1 Analysis
The Boston Celtics rallied in the first game of the NBA Finals, on the road, to take a 1-0 lead in the Championship series.
The Celtics defeated the Warriors, 120-108, despite being down by 15 points in the second half at one point.
Warriors Defeated at Home
Depth proved to be a factor and the Celtics’ defense really stepped up when it mattered most. The whole world would be surprised to see the Warriors down 2-0 in the NBA Finals, at home.
But can the Celtics pull off another win, on the road, and escape Golden State with two massive victories?
Here are our betting picks and predictions for Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors.
NBA Finals Game 1 Recap
The Boston Celtics shot 50.6% from the field, on the road, to stun the Golden State Warriors. The Celtics added 120 points and shot 51.2% from three on 41 attempts in the win.
Celtics Game 1 Performance
- It wasn’t Jayson Tatum putting on a show, however. He went 3-for-17 from the field and scored just 12 points.
- However, he contributed in other areas, adding five rebounds and a game-high 13 assists. Al Horford scored 26 points while Jaylen Brown anchored the team with 24 points.
- Derrick White also came off the bench to contribute 21 points. In the NBA Playoffs, you need depth. The Celtics have shown that their roster has the most depth.
Warriors Game 1 Performance
On the other hand, the Warriors shot 44.3% from the field, at home.
- Golden State still nailed 42.2% from deep but ultimately struggled from the floor in the fourth quarter, when it mattered the most.
- Steph Curry paced the Warriors with 34 points but only Andrew Wiggins scored 20 or more points for Golden State in Game 1.
- Wiggins added 20 points while Klay Thompson was quiet from the field, scoring just 15 points. The Celtics added eight more points in the paint and assisted on nine more baskets in the game.
Despite the Warriors turning the ball over one more time, the Warriors really made the Celtics pay for their turnovers, scoring 21 points off turnovers while the Celtics only scored 10.
If the Celtics can minimize turnovers even more in Game 2, the Warriors will more than likely struggle to score in the halfcourt, again.
Celtics vs. Warriors Game 2 Winning Expectation
The Celtics should be able to stick around in this game. The entire public is going to be backing the Warriors, with the thought that the Warriors can’t go down 2-0 at home.
But realistically, the Celtics are clearly the better team.
In the beginning of Game 1, the Celtics didn’t look rattled at all. They stuck to their game plan and used grit and toughness to come away with the victory.
Experience Matters
And while experience certainly matters in these types of games, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson have all played in the first finals at some point in their careers.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown won’t be phased. Plus, the Celtics won the first game of the series with Tatum struggling from the floor.
Jayson Taytum Winning Expectations
He’ll pick it back up and then the Warriors will really struggle to defend the Celtics. We’ll see another fast-paced game between the Celtics and Warriors in Game 2.
The Celtics likely won’t shoot over 50% from the field but if Jayson Tatum can get in a rhythm quickly, the Celtics will be just as dangerous in Game 2.
The Warriors aren’t going to earn a whole lot of turnovers and the reality is, the Warriors need turnovers to get fastbreak points and easy buckets.
In the halfcourt, the Celtics are communicating on defense and really defending well off screens when they have to.
Celtics vs. Warriors Game Prediction
Unlike the rest of the world, I think the writing is on the wall. The Celtics are the better team and they’ll stick around throughout the entire series.
The Celtics can have their best player struggle from the field and still shoot over 50% from the field. Not many other teams can do that.
Plus, is Steph Curry really going to shoot 50% from deep again? I’m going to back the Celtics in this game, again, and believe they’ll win a statement game in Game 2.
NBA Pick for Today
However, I’ll play it safe. For our NBA picks, Let’s go with the spread here at +4. The Celtics get a couple of possessions in their favor.
NBA Pick: Celtics +4 (-110) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.