Boston Celtics-Golden State Warriors: Match Preview, Stats, Bets, Odds, & Much More | 17 June

The Finals of the NBA are here and the season is in its last stages, in what has been another riveting affair. And the last two remaining teams in Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors remain within a comfortable distance to seize the title. The Warriors are merely a win away while the Boston Celtics are in a must-win scenario here if they are to have a chance. That happened because the Warriors defeated the Celtics 104:94 behind an incredible Andrew Wiggins performance as he racked up 26 points and 13 rebounds. Will the Curry and company take care of the business against the revved-up Celtics?

Handicap: Bookmakers from 22bet favor the Celtics and that is because they are playing on their home floor. The Warriors have beaten the Celtics once on their home floor and they are on a two-game winning streak. The Celtics' offense has struggled in the last couple of games but I believe they will have a strong performance here. Do I see them winning though? No, I think the Warriors will wrap the championship here. (Handicap 2 -4 for 4)

Player Props: Bookmakers at bet365 predict odds of 1.86 for Jordan Poole going Over 11.5 Points (At least 12 Points). Poole has scored 14, 14, 10, 17, 9 in the five games of the series and he has gotten it done, shooting 40%+ in the last four games. I believe Jordan will go “over” the mark. (Player Props: Player Points: Jordan Poole Over 11.5 for 1.86)

Total: Bookmakers at 1xbet give the Total of Under/ Over 210 has the odds of 1.965. The five games so far have fetched 198, 204, 226, 195, and 228, meaning the mark has been under three times and lately, the series has shifted to the low-scoring side. I think the total will be under again. (Total Under 209.5 for 2.02)

This match is available on the NBA League Pass.

The Warriors’ fabled defense has once again taken the center stage, as they have limited the Celtics below 100 in three of the five games, which means that the going has been tough for Boston. One big factor has been the Warriors' defense closing in on Tatum, who did make 50% of his shots, but overall, they have not allowed him to get to even 30. It will be interesting to see how he responds in this game as the Celtics have also forced him to commit four or more turnovers in three games.

Curry has done Curry things but it is again Andrew Wiggins who continues to be the most disruptive presence as a scorer, defender, and rebounder. Klay Thompson made up for 0/9 three-point shooting night by Curry and inserted 21 points, and he has gotten it going. Poole and Payton combined for 29 points whereas Green continues to influence the game as an elite defender, rebounder, and playmaker. The Celtics are up for a big trouble here because the Warriors have multiple hot-hands

One big worry for the Celtics in most of the games has been that team keeps committing turnovers and had 18 of them in the last game while the Warriors had just 6. The duo of Brown and Tatum has not been crisp combined because individually, they have been getting it done, just not in the same game. Marcus Smart had 20 points in the last game and he has done a brilliant job on the offensive end again. Celtics really need to avoid committing turnovers, they have become an Achilles heel.

The Celtics did limit Curry to 5/18 shooting in the last game whereas they have been buried by Thompson and Wiggins, a big challenge indeed. Horford and Williams have been strong in the middle but the Celtics have been unable to limit the Warriors’ possessions. Derrick White had just one point in the last game and he will need to unlock a big game here. Do the Celtics stand a chance? Yes, they do! But will they be able to get through here? I have my doubts honestly.

• Celtics most likely starting five: PG: Marcus Smart | SG: Jaylen Brown | SF: Jayson Tatum | C: Al Horford | C: Robert Williams;
• Key Bench Player: Derrick White, Grant Williams;
• Warriors most likely starting five: PG: Stephen Curry | SG: Klay Thompson | SF: Andrew Wiggins | PF: Draymond Green | F: Otto Porter Jr.;
• Key Bench Players: Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, Otto Porter Jr, Gary Payton II.