by Ben Perks
The Celtics have shown incredible grit on their route to the NBA Finals by beating last year’s winners and surviving a grueling seven-game series against the Heat.
But despite Boston’s impressive run, Vegas oddsmakers still favor the Warriors to win the series opener and the championship title.
Check out the latest betting odds and which factors could decide the outcome of the 2022 NBA Finals before placing your wagers.
Potential Injuries Worry Celtics
On January 28, the Celtics were just 25-25 and massive underdogs to reach the NBA Finals. Yet a combination of excellent coaching, grit, and determination transformed them into one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
These qualities were needed to overcome an extremely challenging route to the Finals. Despite NBA betting sites giving them little chance in the first round of the playoffs, they saw off a star-studded Nets team in just four games.
After overcoming Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with relative ease, Boston went down 3-2 in the series against defending champions Milwaukee Bucks. However, Boston bounced back by winning two in a row to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
They looked in control against Miami but lost a close-out attempt in Game 6 to take the series before beating the Heat on the road despite the best efforts of the machine that is Jimmy Butler.
Although Miami looked close to pulling off a comeback, the Celtics have shown that they can keep cool under pressure.
Although Miami looked close to pulling off a comeback, the Celtics have shown that they can keep cool under pressure.
After this brutal series, the health of their stars going into the Finals is a worry for Boston. The two most significant concerns for the Celtics are defensive players Marcus Smart and Robert Williams III.
Smart has shown worrying signs after missing in the postseason after sitting out a game against the Bucks and two games against Miami because of foot problems. In fairness, Derrick White did a decent job at filling his shoes. But because the Warriors can deftly force role players into tricky situations, White’s already shaky confidence as a shooter could plummet quickly.
After returning from meniscus surgery, Robert Williams has been in and out of the squad. In Game 7 against Miami, he looked desperately in need of a rest and a shell of his former self. But as Williams was pivotal in transforming the Celtics into championship contenders mid-season, they need him in top shape to pip Golden State to the title.
Expect Smart and Williams to go all out in the first few games to stifle Curry’s momentum and possibly cause some upsets against the odds. Yet as they look to be running on fumes, their performance levels will likely fade soon after.
Decsion Time for The Warriors
After losing Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson to injuries in the 2019 Finals loss against the Toronto Raptors, many thought Steph Curry and co would never reach the same heights again.
Yet two years later, here they are. The emergence of Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins has given a new lease of life to Curry and Draymond Green. The two youngsters fared well before Klay Thompson returned and took over proceedings.
The emergence of Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins has given a new lease of life to Curry and Draymond Green.
Because of injuries to Draymond and Curry, the Warriors looked like they would enter the playoffs with an untested team that could struggle to gel. However, they clicked quickly, and Curry soon returned to slay the Nuggets, Grizzlies, and Mavericks en route to the Finals.
So despite not being accustomed to making trade-offs, they’ve done exceptionally well. Nevertheless, they haven’t been able to field groups that work well as both offensive and defensive units.
For this reason, losing Otto Porter Jr. is a major concern. The two-way power forward who shoots and defends allows Golden State to strike a balance on the court.
So now they face a big decision: do they lean defense with Draymond and Looney or lean on guard-heavy offensive lineups with Jordan Poole?
Although no one can question Poole’s attacking output, his defensive game is another story. Therefore, if Poole features in the Lineup, the Celtics have an Achilles’ heel to exploit.
Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.
