Dallas vs Boston Prediction: The offensive game won't be a problem

Dallas and Boston are among the best teams in the NBA in terms of their play on offense, and it will be interesting to follow this game, if only for that reason. In addition, the two contenders for MVP of the regular season will clash. Will Luka Doncic or Jayson Tatum win for their team?

Seven straight wins have allowed Dallas to move up to No. 4 in the Western Conference, although the team had finished in the top 10 before the successful stretch. Luka Doncic averaged over 40 points and drove the team as fast as he could, but we can't ignore the contribution of Christian Wood, who was a solid 2nd option on the attack and made threes with a percentage over 40.

The Texans have played their last three games against in-state neighbors, with a successful meeting with San Antonio squeezed in between wins over Houston. Doncic was less efficient off the bench in the recent game against the Rockets, sinking 8-of-9 three pointers, but his 18 free throws made up for it. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Christian Wood shot well from beyond the arc, with the latter also doing on defense with five blocked shots.

Boston still leads the East, but the competition is very close. The Celtics let Brooklyn get closer after losing their last two games of the regular season: Joe Mazzulla's wards failed to cope with Denver and Oklahoma. The failure against the Thunder was particularly surprising. They played without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and ended up defeating Boston 117-150. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum scored 56 points apiece, but the defense obviously fell apart. It could be the absence of Robert Williams, although his 70 points from the paint were by far the worst of any team in the league this season.

Boston could be in better shape now, but Dallas also had enough problems this season. Without Maxi Kleber, Josh Green, and Dorian Finney-Smith, the Mavericks have a tougher defense, and even San Antonio recently allowed over 120 points. The Celtics blew the meeting with Oklahoma, and against Denver, they could have done more on their side of the ball. The teams have already played each other this season and scored a combined 238 points, so breaking the current total should be no problem. We'll take Total Over 231.5 points for 1.91.

As for the outcome, Boston is in their best lineup, while their opponent lost three important rotation players. Brown and Tatum combined for over 60 points in their last meeting, and they'll also be expected to put on a solid performance. The odds are 1.69 for the Celtics to win, including overtime. Jayson Tatum's Total Over 29.5 can be taken for 1.47.