Both, the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks, are playing the second of back-to-back games after respective victories on Sunday. With plenty of picks and markets to choose from, don’t waste your time and join the action at Get More Sports.
Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks
Spread: Boston Celtics -7.5 (-105) at BetDSI Sportsbook
Total: Over/Under 196 points (-115/-105)
The Celtics are in the hunt for the 16th consecutive win
The Boston Celtics lost the opening two games of the season but then secured amazing 15 consecutive victories and are at the top of the Eastern Conference with the 15-2 record, the best in the NBA. The latest team that fell short against the Celtics was the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, as Boston won 110:99 on the road. Now they are facing one of the weakest teams in the league and are the favorites to defeat the Mavericks.
Boston trailed by 15 points after the opening period in Atlanta, but then took control of the tilt and routinely beat the Hawks. The Celtics hit 16 threes on 34 attempts (47.1%) and had six rebounds more than the hosts (41-35), while they posted six rejections in opposite to Atlanta’s one. Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 30 points (10-12 FG, 5-6 3PT, 5-5 FT), five assists, and four boards, while Jaylen Brown scored a career-high 27 points (10-13 FG, 4-6 3PT, 3-7 FT), along with four rebounds. Jayson Tatum added 14 points, seven boards, game-high four steals, and game-high two rejections, Marcus Morris contributed with 14 points and four rebounds, while Marcus Smart had ten points and four boards. The Celtics are showing their excellent talent and depth even though they lost Gordon Hayward in the first game of the campaign, as Brown and Tatum displayed fantastic performances thus far. Irving is the layer to watch on this one, though, as he faces the rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. in a favorable matchup, while the clash of the veterans Al Horford and Dirk Nowitzki should be exciting to watch. Marcus Smart is not playing well as it was expected prior to the campaign, but he should lead the second unit here and contribute on both ends of the floor.
Brad Stevens lost Gordon Hayward for the season before even had the opportunity to make him a key part of the team, but except for the former Utah Jazz forward, all the players are healthy and ready to go on Monday. The Celtics are scoring 102.47 points per contest on average (22nd in the NBA), while they are allowing 94.41 points in return (1st in the NBA). Boston is among the best five teams (3rd) in the league when it comes to rebounding (47.47). The defense has been extraordinary, allowing just 43.01% from the field to the opponents (1st), 32.95% from beyond the arc (3rd), and 41.94 rebounds per game (9th). We all know the good old saying that defenses are winning championships, and if that’s true, this Celtics team has a decent chance to go all the way this time around.
Place: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
Date/Time: Monday, November 20th, 2017, 8:30 PM ET
TV Coverage: FSSW, NBCSB
The Mavs are looking for the consecutive win and fourth in the season
The Dallas Mavericks are currently the last team in the Western Conference with the record of three victories and 14 defeats, but they managed to beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, 111:79 at American Airlines Center. Dallas destroyed Jason Kidd’s side and showed that they can play and don’t deserve to be the worst team in the NBA, but they must continue playing well, and this tilt with the Celtics will represent a huge test for Rick Carlisle’s squad.
The Mavericks dominated the match from the very start and won all four quarters, leaving no chance to the Bucks to make a comeback. Dallas limited Milwaukee to just 37.8% from the field, while the Mavs were outstanding from the perimeter, hitting 19 shots on eight attempts (50%), and the Bucks couldn’t cope with that kind of sharp-shooting. The hosts were also dominant under the rims (49-38 rebounds) and recorded even 14 assists more than the visitors (27-13). Wesley Matthews led Dallas with season-high 22 points (6-8 3PT), game-high eight dishes, and team-high two steals, while J.J. Barea added season-high 20 points (4-7 3PT), and seven dimes to his name. Harrison Barnes posted 18 points and seven boards, Yogi Ferrell ended the game with 16 points and four rebounds, while Dwight Powell had eight points, and tied career-high 13 boards. It was a really inspiring performance from the Mavs, and if they repeat something similar here, the Celtics could face the first loss in 16 matches. Barnes is the man to watch in a matchup with the rookie Tatum, while Dennis Smith Jr. should bounce back after a forgettable night and just five points (2-8 FG). Matthews against Brown is also an intriguing duel to watch, as well as Nowitzki against Horford. The German veteran contributed with seven points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 25 minutes of action on Sunday, and he still has something to offer, so if Dallas needs a player to turn to in the tight affair, Nowitzki will likely be the go-to guy.
Rick Carlisle is still without Josh McRoberts and Seth Curry, but Curry could return in seven to ten days as he is recovering from a leg injury. In the meantime, Barea and Ferrell will continue to see increased minutes on the floor. Dorian Finney-Smith sustained a knee injury during training camp last summer and didn’t heal properly, so he is out indefinitely. The Mavericks are scoring 98.94 points per contest on average (28th in the NBA), while they are allowing 105.59 points in return (17th in the NBA). The defense is obviously a better part of the team, so 18 threes and 111 points against Milwaukee was quite surprising, and if they manage to score more than 100 on Monday, Dallas could be in a strong position to upset the Celtics.
Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks Trends & Prediction
The Celtics are 14-2-1 against the spread (8-1 away), while they are 6-11 on over/under (3-6 away), so considering this, Boston should get an easy victory on Monday. It is normal to expect Dallas to come back down to Earth as I don’t expect them to have another exceptionally well shooting night.
The Mavericks are 5-12 against the spread (3-7 home), while they are 7-10 on over/under (4-6 home), and the only way to hurt the Celtics here is to score over 100 points, which will be a quite tough task. I will pass on points but will go with the visitors.
My Pick: Boston Celtics -7.5 (-105)
Total: Pass
