Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 01/03/2024, 05:16  by Joseph King | Modified on 01/03/2024 at 05:16 in NBA Predictions

The marquee matchup of Friday’s NBA slate sees the Dallas Mavericks heading east to take on the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. The Mavs are battling for a top-six seed as they currently sit seventh with a 34-25 record while the Celtics sit atop the league standings with an NBA-best 46-12 record. Boston can make it 10 wins in a row with a victory in this game as they have been absolutely rolling as of late. They’ve now built up an eight-game lead in the Eastern Conference and look all but certain to have the top seed locked up as we head into the final third of the regular season. The Celtics are coming off a 117-99 away win over the 76ers on Tuesday in another dominant performance which saw them shoot over 50% and hold their opponents to under 40% from the field. A win for the hosts here would see them win their 28th game in 31 appearances at TD Garden.

Dallas comes into this matchup off the back of a 136-125 away win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, snapping a two-game losing streak for the team. The Mavs are now sitting seventh in the West with a record of 34-25, putting them just a half game behind the Pelicans for a top-six seed and one game behind the fifth-placed Suns. Kyrie Irving has been back in the team over the last 10 games and it’s no surprise the team is 8-2 over that stretch with the way he has been playing. Irving is averaging 27.7 points over the last 10 games on an ultra-efficient 46.5% shooting from three-point range. Combined with Luka’s absurd 34.4 seasonal points per game average on 49.4% shooting and Dallas has an offense that can go toe-to-toe with the very best on any night.