Warriors vs Celtics Picks & Odds: Boston Looks To Rebound At Home In Game 3

The NBA Finals shifts to TD Garden for Game 3 as the Boston Celtics (64-38 SU, 56-44-2 ATS) host the Golden State Warriors (66-34, 51-45-4) on Wednesday as small home favorites. Can Golden State take its first lead of the series or will Boston rebound on home court after a big loss in Game 2? Find out in our Warriors vs Celtics prediction.

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Warriors vs Celtics Odds & Analysis

Sportsbook Odds 

The Celtics opened as a 2.5-point favorite for Game 3 with the total set at 212.5 points. The UNDER is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between the two clubs at TD Garden. Boston is 13-6 over its last 19 home games but just 5-4 at TD Garden in the postseason, so it’s difficult to give the hosts a big edge in our Celtics vs Warriors prediction.
 
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Big Third-Quarter Run Helps Warriors Even Series

After a fourth-quarter collapse in Game 1, Golden State responded with an emphatic 107-88 win in Game 2, leaving nothing to chance. With the score 52-50 at halftime, the Warriors came out after the break and outscored the Celtics 35-14 in the third quarter to build a lead that they wouldn’t relinquish. Steph Curry led the charge with 29 points while Jordan Poole stepped up with 17 of his own.

The Warriors held the Celtics to just 88 points, their lowest total of the postseason. Boston shot just 37.5 percent from the field while committing 18 turnovers to just 12 for Golden State. Curry, Kevin Looney and Otto Porter Jr. wreaked havoc on the Celtics all night defensively with three steals apiece, while Klay Thompson and Poole also had two each.

Andre Iguodala (neck), Porter (foot) and Gary Payton II (elbow) are all questionable for Game 3.

Celtics Struggle Offensively In Game 2 Loss

It was a rough night in Game 2 for the Celtics, who struggled to create much offense outside of Jayson Tatum. Boston’s star forward scored 28 points to lead the team while Jaylen Brown (17 points) and Derrick White (12 points) were the only others to finish in double digits.

Even Tatum – far and away Boston’s best offensive player in Game 2 – had a less than stellar night, all things considered. He shot just 8-for-19 from the field (6-for-9 from three), while going minus-36 in his 34 minutes on the court. For reference, White had the second-worst plus-minus on the team at minus-17.

Robert Williams (knee) is questionable for Wednesday’s matchup.

Warriors vs Celtics Pick & Insights

Warriors: Keys To Cover

The Warriors had five players finish in double digits in Game 2 and got a healthy 35 points off the bench. Perhaps even more importantly, they were back to their tight defensive ways and found a way to turn up the intensity in the second half. If Golden State can bottle that formula from Game 2, they’ll probably take Game 3 as well.

Celtics: Keys To Cover

Boston was right there with Golden State until the third quarter when the Warriors exploded for 35 points while the Celtics hit just four shots from the field in the frame. If the C’s simply don’t sag again like they did in that third quarter, they should be able to hang with the Warriors.

NBA Computer Pick: Warriors +3.5

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