Navigating an 82 game season is marathon and teams, no matter how good, are not gonna be running their best every single mile. Case in point, the Celtics last night against the Lakers. Boston came into Crypto.com Arena with two straight road wins, then came up WAY short against the Lake Show, losing 117-96. It was a back-to-back situation after playing the Clippers the night before.
Dallas comes back home after another win over the best in the West, Oklahoma City Thunder. For some strange reason, the Mavericks matchup up really tight with OKC, even without Luka, and have won three of the last four.
boston Celtics vs. dallas Mavericks Betting Odds
Preview: Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks, 5:30 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -8.0 (-112) | -335 | O 224 (-110) |
| Dallas Mavericks | +8.0 (-108) | +270 | U 224 (-110) |
Odds as of January 25, 2025 at Sportsbook
boston Celtics vs. dallas Mavericks Expert Picks
Boston Celtics -8.0 (-112)
How did the Celtics come up 21 points short against the Lakers on Thursday night? Basically because the entire starting five played well below their season averages. If you're wondering, TWENTY ONE POINTS was their WORST loss of the season. Jayson Tatum scored just 16 points, well below his 27.2 points per game season average.
Jaylen Brown scored only 17 points, 6 points less than his 23.0 ppg season average. Jrue Holiday scored just 3 points which was 8 points off his 11.4 season average. And Derrick White was able to find only 3 points, a dozen off his 15.8 ppg season average. Add it up and the starting five was a total of 37 points off their season average. Don't think that is gonna be the case tonight.
Why? Beating OKC is a really big deal and the dreaded let down is a strong possibility. The last time Dallas played the Thunder, they won 106-98, but then went down to Charlotte and lost the next game, 110-105.
Luka Doncic went down with a calf strain on Christmas Day and does not anticipate coming back until February. Luka wants to bounce before the All-Star break, but that might be a little too optimistic. For some strange reason, the Mavs are aces against the Thunder, only the best team in the Western Conference, winning three of last four. But since Luka went down, they are WAY under water, losing 10 of the last 15 overall.
These teams have not played yet this year, but we looked back to last season and found some interesting info. Boston beat the Mavericks in the first game they played, AT Dallas, 119-110, and that was WITH Luka in the lineup. Luka had 33 points in that game, but Tatum scorched the Mavs for 39, while Brown had 34. It got even worse in the rematch up in Boston with the Celtics CRUSHING Dallas, 138-110. Once again, Luka went nuts, scoring 37 points, but the Mavs could not stop the Jays, with Tatum throwing down 32 points and Brown hitting for 25.
So, how is Boston gonna bounce back after the loss to the Lakers? We looked over the entire season, and the Cs have won 12 of 13 coming off a loss. That's a 92% winning clip and that's gonna be a nice deposit into the Bank of Ecks.
boston Celtics vs. dallas Mavericks news
Boston is not reporting any injuries.
Dallas is a team that looks like a M.A.S.H unit. We told you about Luka, but Dereck Lively is out for an extended period. Klay Thompson is listed as day-to-day and missed the last game against the Thunder.
boston Celtics vs. dallas Mavericks Betting Trends
- Boston has gone Under in eight of its last 11 games
- Boston has covered only two of its last eight games
- Dallas has covered just three of its last 13 games overall
