7:30 PM EST. At first we saw movement down to as low as +8 at some books and we agreed with that. Bettors buying back on the Celtics should not be discredited though, since it is the Celtics we’re talking about. The C’s have been the favorite to win the 2023-2024 NBA Championship for most of the season, and rightfully so. It’s arguably the best version of their consistently elite roster since the Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett days. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown seem as comfortable and confident as ever, and Boston’s surrounding talent is as good as any in the association. And certainly Kristaps Porzingis has added a two-way threat that elevates their starting five to a new level. Jrue Holiday and Derrick White ain't bad, either. 

But Boston is human, as all teams are, and this is the kind of game that Dallas will get up for. The Mavericks have been really sharp when they're motivated lately, and lord knows Boston is overdue for a trip. We also like that Dallas is coming off a big win at Toronto, proving they shouldn't have been graded so low even as road chalk, and that this is the final game of their long road trip. The latest assembly of the Mavericks, with Kyrie and Luka seemingly working together, is unlike the clunky iteration we saw last season. Luka hasn't lost a step, getting triple doubles damn near every night, and this is a revenge game for the Mavs, who lost by 9 to the C’s in late January. Luka had one of his worst shooting nights of the season (12-30) in that loss, otherwise the Mavs would have had a chance to win. The Slovenian star is questionable but we’d be shocked if he didn't play tonight. Reports say that he participated in shootarounds this morning.

 

We also don't hate that Kyrie Irving has some history against these very same Celtics, a team he played for and had some seminal moments with. Except for an outlier at the start of their most recent road trip, the Mavericks have been a covering machine, winning bettors money in 8 of their last 10 contests. The Celtics beat up on their last four opponents, but had a streak where they failed to cover in 8 of 9 games before that. They also have big lookahead matchups against the Timberwolves and Warriors in the next 3 days. The Mavericks will care more about this game, and they have the personnel to hang with Boston until the end. Expect a big game from Luka and Kyrie's comeback to the TD Garden to greatly impact a Mavericks' cover.