We’re 30 games into the Boston Celtics’ regular season, and they still haven’t risen to the upper echelon of Eastern Conference teams as many expected. The Celtics (15-15 SU, 15-15 ATS) will look to climb above .500 on Tuesday as they visit a Dallas Mavericks team (14-15 SU, 12-17 ATS) coming off an impressive win over Memphis in its first game in over a week.
- Date/Time: February 23, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: American Airlines Center
- TV Coverage: TNT
- Sportsbook Odds: Mavericks -3 | O/U 230.5 (Line History)
- Celtics vs Mavericks Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The spread has seen significant movement since Sportsbook with the Mavericks as 3-point favorites; you’ll now find the Celtics at -1 at the majority of sportsbooks. The total has also shifted in a major way, from 230.5 all the way down to 225.
Boston News & Notes
An already difficult season hit a brand new low last time out, as the Celtics squandered a 24-point lead en route to a dispiriting 120-115 overtime loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. And oddsmakers have started to lose faith: Boston opened the season at between +350 and +400 to win the East but is now down to between +800 and +1100 across the industry.
On the positive side, point guard Kemba Walker is starting to look like his old self – and his re-emergence as an elite scoring option might be just what the Celtics need to get over the hump.
Walker has increased his scoring average from 14.3 in January to 18.8 in February while shooting 37.8 percent from three-point range and 93.9 percent from the foul line for the month.
Dallas News & Notes
Things could have gone quite differently Monday for the Mavericks, who were coming off a long and unexpected layoff and were without star Kristaps Porzingis. Instead, they broke out to a 13-point first-quarter lead and cruised to victory while limiting the visiting Grizzlies to an eye-popping 6-of-31 success rate from beyond the arc.
Bettors should expect Porzingis to return Tuesday after the towering forward sat out Monday’s contest with a back injury. His presence will take on added significance with Maxi Kleber questionable for Tuesday after leaving the win over Memphis early with an ankle injury. Porzingis is averaging 20.5 points and 8.2 rebounds on the season.
Betting Pick: OVER 225 (-110)
The initial total might have been a bit high, but this new number should invite plenty of interest in the OVER given how prolific the Mavericks had been in a five-game stretch prior to Monday’s win.
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Buy Sports Picks Now- The Celtics are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games vs Dallas.
- The Mavericks are 3-11 ATS in their last 14 games.
- The OVER is 6-1 in Dallas’s last 7 home games.
