Warriors vs Celtics Picks & Odds: Boston Looks To Win Second Straight At Home

The Boston Celtics (65-38 SU, 57-44-2 ATS) will look to take a commanding 3-1 lead over the Golden State Warriors (66-35, 51-46-4) when Game 4 of the NBA Finals tips off at TD Garden on Friday. Can Boston inch closer to its first NBA title since 2008 or will Golden State tie the series once again? 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 4 with the total set at 212.5 points – a mirror image of the odds for Game 3. The UNDER is 12-4 in the last 16 meetings between the two clubs while Boston has won eight of the last 10 matchups – a nod to the hosts in our Warriors vs Celtics prediction.
 
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Warriors Come Up Short In Fourth Quarter

The Warriors had a big third-quarter push for the third straight contest but fell short in Game 3, losing 116-100 to the Celtics in the first game of the series at TD Garden. Golden State, down as many as 18 points in the first half and trailing 68-56 at halftime, rallied in the third and took a brief lead but trailed by four points going into the final frame and was outscored 23-11 the rest of the way.

Steph Curry was on fire again, leading all scorers with 31 points and six three-pointers while scoring nearly half of his points during Golden State’s third-quarter surge. Klay Thompson was also strong for the Warriors with 25 points, including five triples, while Andrew Wiggins had 18 points.

Boston’s Top Dogs Come Up Big In Game 3

After ending Game 2 with an offensive whimper, the Celtics came out of the gates hot in Game 3, scoring 68 points in the first half to build a lead that the Warriors could not overcome this time. The C’s top trio of Jaylen Brown (27 points), Jayson Tatum (26 points) and Marcus Smart (24 points) all showed out after struggling mightily in Game 3.

Boston’s first-half lead was built on some red-hot shooting as the Celtics shot 57 percent from the field (27 of 47) while going 8-for-18 from beyond the arc. The Celtics also took better care of the ball in Game 3, committing just 12 turnovers after having 19 in Game 2.

Warriors vs Celtics Pick & Insights

Warriors: Keys To Cover

Golden State was excellent defensively in Game 2 but that all fell apart in Game 3 as the visitors allowed Boston to score at will, particularly in the first half. The Warriors will need to get back to that defensive intensity that got them their first win of the series if they’re going to knot things up again in Game 4.

Celtics: Keys To Cover

The Celtics came out with a purpose in Game 3 and spotted themselves a big lead. Perhaps more importantly, they were able to weather the third-quarter push from the Warriors and then respond with a pushback of their own in the fourth to put the game away. Boston will be much more comfortable in Game 4 if they can build an early lead again.

NBA Computer Pick: Warriors +4

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