Celtics 1H moneyline +120 1.5 unit
6 days off for Golden State in between the end of the Mavs series and the start of the Finals, 3 days off for Boston. The 3 days is probably the ideal amount of rest for Boston to get guys like Smart and Rob Williams time off for their injuries but also not have a long layoff like they had between the Nets and Bucks series that hurt them (6 days). The Celtics had a lead at halftime in 7 of their 9 road games these playoffs and went 7-1-1 ATS 1st half. Porter Jr and Gary Payton look like they’ll both be available and Porter hasn’t played in 11 days and Payton a month. Payton’s not guaranteed to play even if he’s available but if these guys do get worked back into the rotation they will likely get minutes in the 2nd quarter and there might be some rust. The Celtics will target Curry and Poole early in the game and try to get them switched on to Tatum and Brown often and Golden State is going to have to send double teams or deal with getting beat 1 on 1. If Golden State goes zone it should be harder to have the success that they had vs Dallas – the Mavs have 3 guys in the starting lineup who don’t drive to the rim/create their own shot consistently (Powell, Finney Smith, and Bullock). Tatum, Brown and Smart can drive and be more efficient vs the zone. Boston also has a lot more size than Dallas and Rob Williams, Horford and Grant Williams rebounding off the zone can give Golden State more problems than the Mavs did. Lobs to Rob Williams are also a threat that wasn’t there with the Mavs. The Celtics have a few advantages and matchups to target in this series. Playing the 1st half which gives the Warriors less time to get in rhythm from the layoff and guys coming back from injury.
