Celtics vs. Warriors Game 2: NBA Finals Betting Picks for Sunday, June 5 (2022)
After a thrilling comeback in Game 1, the Boston Celtics will look to build a 2-0 lead over the Golden State Warriors. Such an advantage would be virtually insurmountable. This series will head to Boston next, and even though the Celtics haven’t been dominant at home, the Warriors are just 25-23 on the road this year. As a result, I’m expecting Golden State to win Game 2 by a healthy margin, although it might take them until the second half to run away with it.
1. Warriors 3Q ML | -130 (.75u) at FD Sportsbook
I want most of my action on a strong third-quarter performance from Golden State. Despite their incredibly talented roster, the Warriors have often started games slowly this year. That has often forced them to recover after the half. The Warriors led the NBA in average third-quarter margin in the regular season. They won the frame by an average margin of three points. While the Celtics finished second in the metric with an average margin of +2.7, Boston has performed worse in the third quarter during the playoffs. Their average third-quarter margin has fallen to just +2.0; in contrast, Golden State’s margin now sits at +2.6.
This is a do-or-die game for the Warriors. They can still win this series with just one road win, and the Boston Celtics haven’t been great at home this year. In contrast, the Warriors have been the NBA’s best home team all season. They are 40-11 at home this year. I don’t think that the Celtics will steal two road games in a row here, so look for Golden State to assert its dominance in the second half tonight.
2. Warriors / Over 216.5 | +220 (.25u) at FD Sportsbook
We’ll put a quarter of our action on this match/total parlay. The Warriors find themselves in a must-win situation and will have to play some of their best basketball tonight. Fortunately, they’ll benefit from home-court advantage, which is all the more meaningful given their NBA-best home record. While this is a public bet — 78% of the tickets have come in for Golden State against the spread — the Warriors also have sharp backing. Golden State has attracted 86% of the cash.
The total is a more challenging market. But after a high-scoring Game 1 that saw these teams rack up 228 points, I’m undeterred by a slight increase in the posted number. Game 1’s total closed at 214, so the books have only jacked this number up by 2.5. The Warriors are 4-1 to the Over in their last five games, and they are 11-6 to the Over in the playoffs. The Celtics are only 9-10 to the Over these playoffs, but it is 15-10-1 when they play as a road underdog and it’s 34-28-1 when they come off a win.
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Isaiah Sirois is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Isaiah, check out his archive and follow him @is_sirois.