jayson-tatum
USATSI

NBA heavyweights collide when the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors meet up in Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals on Thursday. Both teams played amazing basketball throughout the year to reach this point. In his first year as the head coach, Ime Udoka led Boston to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2010. After two injury-plagued seasons, Golden State will be playing in its sixth NBA Finals over the past eight years. Robert Williams III (knee) is considered questionable for Boston. Golden State lists Andre Iguodala (neck), Gary Payton II (elbow) and Otto Porter Jr. (foot) as questionable.

Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET in San Francisco. Golden State is the 3.5-point favorite in the latest Celtics vs. Warriors odds from Caesars Sportsbook. The over-under for total points is set at 213.5, up 2.5 points from the opening line. Before finalizing any Warriors vs. Celtics picks or NBA predictions, you need to see what SportsLine expert Zack Cimini has to say.

A Las Vegas handicapper who's never afraid to buck conventional wisdom, Cimini excels in multiple sports. Over the past 33 NBA picks, Cimini is 22-11, returning almost $800 to $100 players. He is also on an amazing 38-16-1 run with his last 55 against-the-spread picks involving the Celtics, returning almost $1,800 to $100 players.

Now, Cimini has set his sights on Celtics vs. Warriors, and just locked in his picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Warriors vs. Celtics:

  • Celtics vs. Warriors spread: Warriors -3.5
  • Celtics vs. Warriors over-under: 213.5 points
  • Celtics vs. Warriors money line: Warriors -170, Celtics +145
  • Celtics vs. Warriors tickets: See tickets at StubHub
  • BOS: The Celtics are 12-6 against the spread in playoff games
  • GSW: The Warriors are 9-7 against the spread in playoff games

Why the Celtics can cover

Guard Marcus Smart will have his hands full on the defensive end, but he should be up for the challenge. Smart is a lockdown defender who knows how to get physical without getting into foul trouble. The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year can pile up steals and is a confident playmaker. Smart can space the floor if needed from the 3-point line. In the closeout win over Miami, he dropped 24 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals.

Few teams defied oddsmakers on the road the way the Celtics did during the 2021-22 season. Boston enters this matchup with a sparkling 33-17 record against the spread on the road. The Celtics have also been pesky with a 19-9-1 ATS mark as underdogs on the season. 

Why the Warriors can cover

Golden State's offense draws a great deal of attention and rightly so, with the Warriors leading the 2022 NBA playoffs in points per possession. However, Steve Kerr's team is also elite on the defensive end. Opponents are shooting only 44.1 percent from the field against Golden State in the playoffs, and the Warriors are securing more than 74 percent of available defensive rebounds. From there, the Warriors finished No. 2 in the NBA in defensive efficiency during the regular season, yielding only 106.6 points per 100 possessions to opponents. 

Golden State was also No. 2 in both field goal percentage allowed (43.8 percent) and 2-point percentage allowed (50.9 percent), with top-five marks in assists allowed (22.9 per game), 3-point percentage allowed (33.9 percent), steals per game (8.8) and points allowed in the paint (43.9 per game). The Warriors were also solidly in the top 10 in turnover creation, defensive rebound rate and second-chance points allowed

How to make Warriors vs. Celtics picks

For Game 1 of the NBA Finals 2022, Cimini is leaning under on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing what it is, and which side of the Warriors vs. Celtics spread to back, at SportsLine.

So who wins Celtics vs. Warriors? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Warriors vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the expert that has crushed his NBA picks, and find out.