Need advice for betting on the NBA Conference Finals this weekend? You’ll want to read this to get our best NBA playoff bets for Friday and Saturday. We have you covered for Game 2 in the West and Game 3 out East!
Against The Spread: Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
The best online sportsbooks aren’t pegging this Dallas-Golden State spread all that close. As it stands, the home Warriors are significant six-and-a-half-point favorites on the spread.
The rather lopsided spread is a direct byproduct of how Game 1 resulted — in a blowout win for the Dubs 112-87. Warriors shot lights out all game long, hitting 56 percent from the field. That was a stark contrast to Dallas, who made a meager 36 percent of its shots. Many fans and bettors felt the Mavs were “fluky” to be even in this series rather than the Suns, and that opening performance seemed to prove that.
But we’re here to tell you that the Mavericks shouldn’t be completely counted out. Look, they just had a bad game. A really bad game, in fact. And that shouldn't be a surprise since they just completed a grueling seven-game series on Sunday night. You’d expect there to be some falloff. With that out of the way, we’re confident Dallas can at least cover the spread.
Here’s why: Luka Doncic. He had a terrible Game 1. After averaging 31.5 points in the playoffs, Doncic was kept in check to just 20 by the Warriors. We’re of the belief that it was a one-off bad game, and Doncic will rebound nicely in Game 2. This guy is a top-10, maybe top-5, player in the whole league, after all. Once he does return to normal form, that instantly makes this game more competitive than the opener.
So despite the disrespect, the Mavs are openly getting at popular NBA betting sites, we love their value as road underdogs. This Dubs team will overlook them based on its easy Game 1 win, which isn't completely indicative of Dallas' potential in this series.
Over/Under 214 Points: Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors
We’re not done with Game 2 out West quite yet. No, we’re also enamored with the Dallas-Golden State over/under. While Game 1 went way under (they didn’t even combine for 200 points), we’re wagering that Game 2 goes over.
What we neglected to mention in our first pick is the Mavericks didn’t just drop Game 1 because its best player was contained on the floor. No, they also got blown out because they shot abnormally awful from three-point range. Dallas was 11-of-48 from beyond the arc in Game 1. We can’t imagine a repeat of that shooting performance come Friday’s game.
This Mavs team has a simple offensive approach: create spacing on the floor with shooters and play drive-and-kick basketball. It’s not that the approach didn’t work in Game 1. It’s just that the shots simply weren’t going in (despite some coming from wide-open looks). A rebound is in store for the whole team, which should push this game into over territory.
Against The Spread: Miami Heat at Boston Celtics
What a difference Marcus Smart and Al Horford make, eh? Both Celtics players returned to the lineup in Game 2 after missing Game 1, and with the two on the floor, Boston proceeded to beat the brakes off of Miami, winning 127-102 on the road. Momentum has completely shifted toward the C’s, which is why we’re riding with Boston to cover the spread.
We just don’t trust anyone on the Heat roster right now not named Jimmy Butler. He’s carried them in both games with a combined 70-point effort. Everyone else? Welp, there’s not much to write home about. Worse, Kyle Lowry doesn’t appear to be returning from a hamstring injury anytime soon (he’s been out since Game 2 of the second playoff round).
Miami is in trouble — this Celtics defense is too good to be beaten by a single player, no matter how good Butler is. Playing on the road, in a hostile arena like Boston’s, is hardly an antidote to get role players going too. We sense Game 3 will be another convincing win for the C’s.
How To Bet On 2022 NBA Conference Finals?
The 2021-22 NBA season is down to its last dozen or so games. If you want to bet on the remaining 2022 Conference Finals and the eventual championship, then there’s no better place to do so than one of the top-rated sports betting sites listed underneath. You’ll find the best odds on every remaining game at these bookies, and that goes for spreads, over/unders, props, and everything in between.
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