Golden State Warriors at Boston Celtics
The Warriors bounced back from a rough start to the Finals with a comfortable 107-88 victory in Game 2 on Monday. They sealed the win with a dominant 35-14 third-quarter performance. Steph Curry led the way with 29 points and hit 5 threes. Poole was also brilliant off the bench with 5 threes as well and 17 pts. Defensively, the Warriors forced 18 turnovers and will head to Boston with a lot of confidence. Klay Thompson had a tough time with his shot in Game 2, going 5 of 27. Wiggins has also been quiet shooting wise and comes off 11 pts in Game 2. So there's plenty of upside for the Warriors if the likes of Thompson and Wiggins can get going. There was plenty of talk about Draymond Green's antics in Game 2 but it's just how he plays and Golden State have the advantage if the Celtics let it get under their skin.
Boston were simply outplayed by the Warriors in the Game 2 defeat. But they won't be unhappy with a 1-1 split to start the Finals on the road. This will be the first time since 2010 that TD Garden features the NBA Finals and there's no doubt the crowd will be fired up. Tatum had a tough time in Game 1 but did his job in Game 2 with 28 pts and 6 threes. However, the likes of Horford and Smart couldn't get going. Horford scored just 2 points in 28 minutes. Smart struggled with 5 turnovers and shot 1 of 9. So Boston will need Smart and Horford to get back on track in Game 3 and we're confident that can happen on their home court. White continues to play well off the bench and is a safe target in the 10+ pts market at the moment. The Robert Williams injury saga continues as he played just 14 minutes in Game 2. But the 3 days rest should benefit him for Game 3.
The Celtics are warm favourites in Game 3 as the market is expecting them to bounce back from a rough performance in Game 2. Looking at the betting trends, a Boston victory does look like the best play. They like to bounce back from big losses as they're 4-0 ATS after losing by a 10+ margin. They're also 12-2 ATS when they're coming off a loss. Tatum should lead them to victory and Smart will be fired up to bounce back from a disappointing performance. Meanwhile, the Warriors have struggled to cover on the road with a 1-5 ATS record in their last 6 and 1-5 ATS against a team with a winning home record.
Stadium Record
The Celtics are 18-7 in their last 25 games at home. Golden State are 6-3 at TD Garden in their last 9.
Head to Head Record
The finals are tied at 1-1. Boston has won 7 of the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
