NBA Finals Odds After Game 1 – Celtics Move To Favorites After Furious 4th-Quarter Buries Warriors
By Eric Rosales in NBA Basketball
Published:
- The Boston Celtics finish in a flurry to beat the Golden State Warriors, taking Game 1 of the NBA FinalsÂ
- With odds as long as +200 prior to Game 1, the Celtics are now betting favorites at -180 odds
- We look at the updated Finals odds below and share our best betting advice
The Boston Celtics aren’t playing.
A team with zero NBA Finals experience, the C’s withstood every shot the championship-savvy Golden State Warriors threw, and they used the fourth quarter to fire their own haymaker.
The result: an impressive 120-108 Game 1 win, and a sudden shift in the NBA Championship odds.
2022 NBA Finals Series Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -180 |
| Golden State Warriors | +150 |
Odds as of June 2 at FanDuel Sportsbook
The Warriors opened as -160 series favorites, and extended to as many as -230 leading up to Game 1. Now? The Celtics have moved from +200 underdogs to -180 favorites.
As we prepare for Game 2 on Sunday (June 5), let’s look at what the best bet currently is.
Celtics Finish Game 1 in Flurry
The Golden State Warriors — who had a total of 123 games of Finals experience heading into Game 1 — did what they usually do, using the third quarter to separate themselves from the Celtics. A 38-24 advantage gave them a 12-point lead heading into the final frame.
Al Horford's six threes in Game 1 are the most in his career, regular season or playoffs 😳 pic.twitter.com/MTa2dIzBMX
— ESPN (@espn) June 3, 2022
Boston didn’t flinch, though, putting together an incredible fourth quarter, outscoring the Dubs 40-16 to hand GState their first home loss of the playoffs, while improving to an impressive 8-2 on the road in the postseason.
Al Horford, playing his first career title series, led the Celtics with 26 points, adding six rebounds and three assists. He drilled 6-for-8 from downtown. Derrick White came off the bench to pour in 21 of his own, including a 5-for-8 mark from three-point range.
Jaylen Brown with the BIG block and dunk on the other end 😤 pic.twitter.com/xMGU4cqzrS
— ESPN (@espn) June 3, 2022
Jaylen Brown was Boston’s third 20+ point scorer, finishing with 24 points, seven boards and five assists. Jayson Tatum struggled mightily from the field, going 3-for-17 for 12 points, but he did facilitate well, doling out a game-high 13 dimes.
The game featured a ton of high-level offense, including the best-shooting game in Finals history. The two teams combined for 40 three-point makes, with Boston going 21-for-41 (51.2%) and the Warriors shooting 19-for-45 (42.2%).
Finals quarters with 5+ threes:
3 — Steph Curry
2 — Rest of NBA history combinedHe made 6 threes in the 1Q, the most ever in a Finals quarter. pic.twitter.com/VYOpSezDxj
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 3, 2022
Steph Curry led all scorers with 34 points and a game-high seven three-point hits, but he was far less effective after the first quarter, potting just 13 points and a three-pointer in the final 36 minutes.
Andrew Wiggins had 20 points, the only other Warrior to crack the 20-point plateau.
What’s the Best Bet?
Oddsmakers had no choice but to flip the gambling script after that performance. Consider that Curry dropped 21 points in the first quarter, with six three-point makes, and even with Tatum struggling, Boston not only stayed in range, but led 56-54 at halftime.
Robert Williams III blocks Stephen Curry 's three point pullup jump shot. It's his third block of the game. pic.twitter.com/VRFQWFDKe6
— hoops bot (@hoops_bot) June 3, 2022
Boston’ depth shined through Thursday, with their nine-man rotation offering more versatility, continuous shooting, and switchable defense than the Warriors’ eight man group could match.
Jordan Poole, who’s been dynamite in the playoffs so far, could only muster nine points off the bench. Couple that with Draymond Green’s brutal 2-for-12 shooting performance, including an 0-for-4 mark from three and 0-for-3 from the free throw line, and Golden State’s roster looks a little thin if their entire lineup isn’t pulling their weight.
Watching Draymond try to score is legit comedy.
He’s elite at every other aspect of the game but he’s a bottom 2 percentile scorer at this point.
— nick wright (@getnickwright) June 3, 2022
That being said, this is just one game, and there’s a ton of jockeying left to do in a series that has the potential to go the distance. If you hadn’t bet the Celtics at those extended odds prior to Game 1, there’s not a ton of current value left after their win.
However, now is a good chance to get some plus-odds on the Warriors, who should shift back to favorite status should they come back and take Game 2.
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
