NBA Finals Game 1 Betting Odds Preview

The NBA Finals get underway Thursday night with Game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.

Neither side was favored to win the NBA championship when the playoffs began. At the outset of the playoffs, the Warriors were listed at +850 on the NBA futures, while the Celtics were at +900. At Bovada Sportsbook, the series odds heading into Game 1 have the Warriors as a -150 favorite and the Celtics a +130 underdog.

Favored Warriors unbeaten at home in playoffs

The Warriors are also a 3.5-point home favorite in Game 1. Through their playoff run, Golden State is 12-4 straight up and 9-7 against the spread. That includes going 5-1 SU and ATS in the last six.

At home in the playoffs, the Warriors are undefeated this season at 9-0 SU with a 7-2 ATS record. Going back to the regular season, Golden State is 14-4 SU and 9-9 ATS in its last 18 games, and in the last 30, the Warriors are 23-7 SU and 14-16 ATS.

Boston is 12-6 SU and ATS in the playoffs. In the last six games, the Celtics are 4-2 SU and ATS.

Celtics have covered in 12 of last 13 on road

Boston has been sharp on the road in the playoffs with a 7-2 SU record and a near-perfect 8-1 ATS mark. In their last 13 road games, the Celtics are 12-1 ATS. When listed as an underdog, the Celts are 5-2 SU and 6-1 ATS in their last seven, and 8-7 SU and 12-3 ATS in their last 15.

The Warriors and Celtics met up twice during the regular season and the road team won both games. They first played on December 17 when the Warriors defeated the Celtics 111-107 as a 4-point road favorite. Stephen Curry netted a game-high 30 points in that win, and Andrew Wiggins added 27 points. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 27 points.

In their last matchup on March 16, Boston defeated Golden State 100-88 as a 1.5-point road underdog, though it’s worth noting Curry was limited to only 13 minutes and three points due to injury, and Wiggins did not play at all. Tatum and Jaylen Brown both scored 26 points for Boston in the win.

UNDER has been profitable wager in matchup

Looking back beyond this season, the Celtics have dominated the matchup, going 6-1 SU and 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven vs the Warriors. At Golden State, the Celtics have won four straight at 3-1 ATS, and they’re 8-1 ATS in their last nine. At home to the Warriors, the Celtics are 3-6 SU and 4-3-2 ATS in their last nine.

For totals bettors, this matchup has been a profitable UNDER pick for years. In the last 13 games between Boston and Golden State, the UNDER is 11-2. The last seven games between the two sides at Golden State have all gone UNDER the posted total.