Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis has only played in four playoff games this year, and he has not played since Game 4 of Boston's first-round series against Miami on April 29 due to a calf injury. He is expected to return on Thursday night for Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Porzingis was the team's third-leading scorer (20.1 points per game) and second-leading rebounder (7.2 rebounds per game) during the regular season. He has an over/under of 15.5 points in the 2024 NBA Finals prop odds for Thursday's series opener. The return of Porzingis could shake things up for the rest of Boston's roster, so how should that play a role in your 2024 NBA Finals prop bets?
Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics are 6.5-point favorites in the latest Mavericks vs. Celtics odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 215.5 from SportsLine consensus. Before making any Celtics vs. Mavericks picks on sites like PrizePicks or DraftKings Pick6, be sure to check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine AI PickBot.
Built using cutting-edge artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques by SportsLine's Data Science team, AI Predictions and AI Ratings are generated for each pick and player prop. The AI predictions are determined by statistically learning from each player and team's historical data then quantitatively evaluating the strength of the opponents' defense by assigning a numeric value out of 100 called a matchup score.
Once a prediction is formulated, the AI rating is generated using the prediction, the matchup score, and the odds of the market. For example, you could see a A+ rating on an over bet if a player is facing a poor defense, their prediction differs from the line and there are favorable odds.
In addition, SportsLine AI is the first fully automated predictive model at SportsLine. It continuously refreshes on the most recent available data and can help you spot the biggest discrepancies in the lines. During the NFL season, SportsLine's AI PickBot hit a whopping 1,674 4.5- and 5-star prop picks. During the current NBA season, it's nailed 932 money line picks, 680 over/under bets and 637 spread picks.
Now, the AI PickBot has dialed in on Celtics vs. Mavs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and locked in its 2024 NBA playoff predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the AI PickBot's best bets. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Mavs vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Mavericks spread: Boston -6.5
- Celtics vs. Mavericks over/under: 216.5 points
- Celtics vs. Mavericks money line: Boston -250, Dallas +200
- BOS: 26-21-2 ATS this season at home
- DAL: 34-16 ATS this season on the road
- Celtics vs. Mavericks picks: See picks at SportsLine
Top NBA player props for Game 1 of Mavericks vs. Celtics
After examining dozens of NBA player props for Mavericks vs. Celtics, we can tell you SportsLine AI says Celtics guard Derrick White goes Over 23.5 total points + rebounds + assists (-106). White has stepped up with Porzingis sidelined, averaging 17.8 points, 4.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game during the 2024 NBA playoffs. He played 42 minutes twice in the four-game series against Indiana, going over 23.5 points + rebounds + assists in all four of those contests.
The 29-year-old has knocked down more than 40% of his 3-pointers in the playoffs, and his 17.8 points per game are a career-high including the regular season. While Porzingis could steal some shot attempts from him, White is still going to be on the court due to his consistent defensive presence. He has been going over this total with room to spare, creating value at these odds. See which team to pick here.
How to make Celtics vs. Mavericks picks
In addition, SportsLine AI PickBot has generated several prop predictions for Game 1 and says one side of the spread is an A-rated pick while also revealing two more confident picks for Game 1. You can only get the AI PickBot's prediction at SportsLine.
So which player props should you be targeting in Game 1 of Celtics vs. Mavericks, and which side of the spread gets the A grade? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the AI PickBot that uses predictive learning to crush its NBA picks, and find out.
