Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors NBA Finals Game 2 Betting Preview/Prop Picks

We’re heading into the second game of the NBA Finals, and the Celtics are up 1-0. After a shocking win, Boston will look to get another win on the road tonight.

This won’t be easy now that the Warriors have seen how good their offense can be. However, led by Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are looking to get out to a fast start. From there, their defense can take over the game.

The Golden State Warriors find themselves in a bit of a bind tonight. They lost Game 1 120-108, and now they have to go back to the drawing board. The Celtics really showed off their offense in that game, and now the Warriors have to adjust.

The good news is they have a smart head coach who can formulate a plan for the Celtics. So, between these two, who comes out on top?

Boston Celtics: A fast offensive start will win this game for Boston

One thing you can’t afford to do when you play the Warriors is start off slow. The Celtics performed remarkably well in this regard in Game 1 of the series.

Al Horford actually led the team in scoring, putting up 26 points. As a team, the Celtics shot 50.6% from the field and 51.2% from beyond the arc. They’ll need a similar performance against the Warriors tonight.

On defense, the Celtics know that they need to stop the shooters of Golden State. Most of their attention will be on Stephen Curry, who scored 34 points against them in Game 1.

Although the Celtics won the game, they need to be cautious of Curry. Boston also needs to rebound better; Jaylen Brown led the group with just seven rebounds. Now, let’s take a look at Golden State.

Golden State Warriors: Can’t afford a second loss at home

As the Warriors head into this game, they have to avoid losing another at home. If they do, they’ll be shipped out to Boston down 0-2. Playing in Boston hasn’t been very easy for many teams as the Celtics are 33-17 at home.

So, the key here is getting a strong start on offense but an even better one on defense. This requires the Warriors to defend the interior better.

Unfortunately, the Warriors will be without Andre Iguodala and Gary Payton II tonight. Another player on the injury report is Otto Porter Jr., who is listed as “day-to-day.”

Still, injuries are no excuse for Golden State, who needs to win this game. Their offense is one of the best in the NBA, but their defense needs to step up tonight. We’ll have to see if they can as a team.

Boston Celtics at Golden State Warriors Betting Pick

Boston got off to a quick start and had the Warriors on their heels in Game 1. However, we don’t think they’ll be able to follow up with a second win tonight.

We expect Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Warriors, to adjust his game plan. With a new defensive scheme focused on stopping the Celtics, the Warriors should win this one at home. 

They only come in as 4.5-point favorites, which isn’t a large spread to cover. Game 1 was the second loss for the Warriors at home this postseason, a remarkable achievement.

We think the Warriors will pull out a win tonight and cover the spread, with the total going under 216.

DunkelIndex Free Pick: Golden State Warriors -4.5, UNDER

Prop Picks

Boston (-115) UNDER 105.5 Points

Golden State is allowing 105.5 points per game on defense, which ranks No. 3 in the league. That average decreases to 103.5 points per game at home. Scores have gone UNDER in 10 of the Warriors’ last 14 games following a double-digit loss at home.

With Dunkel predicting a Golden State victory by the score of 112-96, take the Celtics (-115) to finish UNDER their Vegas team total of 105.5 points against the Warriors.

Al Horford (-110) UNDER 11.5 Points

Horford is averaging 12.7 points per game during the postseason, which ranks No. 4 on the Celtics. That average decreased to 10.2 points per game during the regular season and 9.8 points per game on the road. 

With Dunkel predicting a Celtics road loss while staying UNDER their team point total, take Horford (-110) to finish UNDER his Vegas total of 11.5 points versus Golden State.

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All Media on this page by Associated Press.