Celtics vs. Warriors Game 2 Betting: Warriors to Even Series in Close Game

Game 1 of the 2021-22 NBA Finals brought a bunch of twists and turns that kept fans at the edge of their seat. Ultimately, the Boston Celtics found a way to get the job done, walking away with the 120-108 victory over the Golden State Warriors, along with the 1-0 series lead.

Things looked grim as the Celtics entered the fourth quarter trailing by 12 points. Instead of giving in, they buckled down and scored 40 points in the final frame to leave the Chase Center with the coveted victory.

Meanwhile, the Warriors need to learn from their fourth-quarter mistakes and move on because they can’t dwell too long with Game 2 slated for Sunday, June 5.

Can the Celtics shock the world and head back to Boston with a 2-0 lead? Or will the Warriors find a way to even the series before it’s too late?

Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors Game 2 Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Matchup: #2 Boston Celtics vs. #3 Golden State Warriors
• Venue & Location: Chase Center (San Francisco, CA)
• Date: Sunday, June 5, 2022
• Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Thursday’s Celtics vs. Warriors Game 2: ABC

Celtics vs. Warriors Game 2 Odds (Friday, June 3)

Odds are via our top reviewed and recommended sportsbooks.

BetOnline

• Spread: Boston Celtics +4.5 (-110), Golden State Warriors -4.5 (-110)
• Over/Under: OVER 215.5 (-110), UNDER 215.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Boston Celtics +154, Golden State Warriors -184

Bovada Sportsbook

• Spread: Boston Celtics +4 (-110), Golden State Warriors -4 (-110)
• Over/Under: OVER 215.5 (-110), UNDER 215.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Boston Celtics +160, Golden State Warriors -190

BetUS

• Spread: Boston Celtics +4.5 (-109), Golden State Warriors -4.5 (-112)
• Over/Under: OVER 215.5 (-110), UNDER 215.5 (-112)
• Moneyline: Boston Celtics +150, Golden State Warriors -182

Celtics Looking Good Despite Tatum’s Shooting Struggles

Teams can have a hard time winning when their best player goes through a scoring slump. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case for the Celtics on Thursday night.

Jayson Tatum couldn’t buy a basket in Game 1, ending the night with only 12 points on 3-of-17 shooting (17.6%) while playing over 41 minutes. He still managed to facilitate by tallying 13 assists, but it’s clear that the Warriors did a good job at limiting his offensive contributions.

Tatum’s struggles didn’t hurt Boston too much as the game went on. Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart ended the night with 24 and 18 points, respectively, both adding a pair of steals to help on the other side of the ball as well.

Of course, Al Horford’s impact on the game can’t be understated as well. The 36-year-old continues to have a playoff run to remember, this time finishing with 26 points — 11 of which came during the fourth quarter alone.

That’s not even to mention that Derrick White had 21 points in nearly 32 minutes played off of the bench. On top of that, shot 5-of-8 from the three-point line and also led all Celtics players with a plus-25 plus/minus rating.

The Celtics’ key to winning Game 2 will be not to fall behind early on again. As fun as the comeback effort was, they can’t afford to take their chances with an experienced Warriors team. If things start off on a stronger note, there’s a realistic chance that the Celtics could be heading back to Boston with a 2-0 lead.

Warriors Must Avoid Fourth-Quarter Collapse in Game 2

As mentioned earlier, things were looking great for the Warriors after Game 1’s first three quarters. Suddenly, the entire team seemed to disappear during the fourth quarter.

For example, Stephen Curry was on fire, having 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting after the third quarter ended. Many thought he’d hit the 40-point mark once again, but instead only scored four points while shooting 33.3% from the field in the final quarter.

Klay Thompson wasn’t much better, only attempting three shots and finishing the frame with five points. In fact, the entire Warriors couldn’t get any offense going as they scored just 16 points in Game 1’s fourth quarter with no players scoring more than Thompson’s five.

The big difference also was that the Celtics beat the Warriors at their own game, shooting 75.0% from three-point range in the fourth compared to Golden State’s 25.0%.

Clearly, the Warriors underestimated the Celtics’ perseverance and they can’t afford to make that mistake again. Golden State might have more playoff experience, but Boston proved it has the depth and talent to make up for that.

In order to win Game 2, Curry must prove that he’s the best player in the series by maintaining the same effort for a full 48 minutes. Guys like Thompson and Jordan Poole, who combined for just 24 points, also need better offensive efforts to keep pace.

If Steve Kerr can get his team to stay fully committed to the plan, they’ll have a better shot at evening the NBA Finals before it heads to TD Garden.

Celtics vs. Warriors Game 2 Prediction and Best Bets

Prediction and best bets are from Friday, June 3.

Prediction: Warriors 118, Celtics 116

Best Bets: Celtics +4.5 (-109 at BetUS) and Over 215.5 (-110 at Bovada Sportsbook)

Even though the Celtics won Game 1, it’s important to remember that the Warriors were in control for the first 75% of the game. They know what it’s like to be in the NBA Finals and I expect them to use that experience to even the series on Sunday.

As for the best bet, I do think the Celtics will keep it close, hence why I’m taking them on the spread. I’m also taking the over here because I expect both teams’ stars to show up in such a must-win game.

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