Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors Game 2 Predictions

Boston Celtics (64-37 SU, 56-42-3 ATS) vs. Golden State Warriors (65-34 SU, 50-45-4 ATS)
When: Sunday June 05 2022, 08:00 PM (ET)
Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, California
TV: ABC

Point Spread: BOS +4.5/GSW -4.5 (Opened at GSW -4)
Total: 215.5 (Opened at 215.5)
Money Line: Boston Celtics 151/Golden State Warriors -183
Power Rating:

Probable Starting Lineups

Boston Celtics PG Marcus Smart, SG Jaylen Brown, SF Jayson Tatum, PF Al Horford, C Robert Williams Q
Golden State Warriors PG Stephen Curry, SG Klay Thompson, SF Andrew Wiggins, PF Draymond Green, C Kevon Looney

Key Injuries

Boston Celtics Robert Williams III: Knee (QUESTIONABLE)

Golden State Warriors Otto Porter Jr.: Foot (QUESTIONABLE) Andre Iguodala: Neck (QUESTIONABLE) Gary Payton II: Elbow (QUESTIONABLE) James Wiseman: Knee (OUT)

The Golden State Warriors host the Boston Celtics in a NBA Finals Game 2 matchup. Tip-off is set for 08:00 PM ET at the Chase Center.

Recent Form

The Boston Celtics come into this game with an overall record of 51-31, placing them 4th in the Eastern Conference. So far, Boston is above .500 on the road, holding a record of 31-20. Over their last five games, the Celtics have played well, picking up 4 wins. In this stretch, Boston’s offense is scoring right in line with their season average, putting up 104.0 points per game. Combined, the Celtics’ last five opponents are giving up 105.0 points per contest. Boston comes into this game also playing well defensively, holding their opponents to just 95.0 points per game. An improvement on their season average of 103.9. In the Boston Celtics’ most recent game, Boston took down Golden State by a score of 120-108

The Golden State Warriors come into this game with an overall record of 53-29, placing them 3rd in the Western Conference. So far, Golden State is above .500 at home, holding a record of 40-11. The Warriors have played well over their last five games, picking up 3 wins. In this stretch, Golden State’s offense is scoring right in line with their season average, putting up 114.0 points per game. Combined, the Warriors’ last five opponents are giving up 105.0 points per contest. Even though the Warriors have been adding to the win column, their opponents have had no trouble scoring the ball, averaging 113.0 points per game, up from Golden State’s usual rate of 106.2. In the Golden State Warriors’ most recent game, the team fell to Boston by a score of 120-108.

Individual Player Analysis

As Boston travels to take on the Golden State Warriors, the Celtics’ leading scorer is Jayson Tatum. Through 76 games, Tatum is averaging 26 points. On the season, he has surpassed his season average in 47.0% of his games. Against the Warriors, Tatum will need to be on top of his game as Golden State is allowing their opponent’s top scorer to surpass their average in 38.0% of their games, placing them in the top 10. On the other side, Stephen Curry leads the Warriors in scoring, averaging 25 points across his 64 games. Throughout the season, Curry has outscored his season average in 45.0% of his outings. Given that Boston’s defense has struggled to slow down their opponent’s top scorers, Stephen Curry should be in line for a big performance. So far, the Celtics have allowed their opponent’s top scorer to surpass their season average in 53.03% of their games, giving them a rank of 25th among NBA defenses.

Matchup Analysis

Heading into this matchup, the Boston Celtics are the more efficient team on both ends of the court. This scenario has taken place in 34 of Boston’s 41 games, leading to a winning percentage of 59%. So far, the Golden State Warriors have played 41 games as the inferior offensive and defensive unit. In these instances, they have lost 41 times, by an average margin of -15.0 points.

The Historicals

Heading into today’s matchup, the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors have met up for 3 games. In their last meeting, Boston picked up a 120-108 win.

How the Public is Betting the Celtics vs Warriors

67% are betting the Warriors against the spread.
52% are wagering on the game to go over the posted total of 215.5

Betting Trends Worth Noting

Boston is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Golden State Boston is 13-1 ATS in its last 14 games on the road Golden State is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Golden State’s last 8 games when playing at home against Boston

Joe’s Pick to Cover the Spread

Heading into game 2 of the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors are once again favorites to pick up the win. However, the Boston Celtics stole home-court advantage in the opening game, as they outscored Golden State by 24 points in the 4th quarter. After the game, Warriors players expressed confidence in the fact that Boston is unlikely to replicate that outstanding shooting performance in the 4th quarter. However, Boston has to feel good that they came up with a win, despite a below-average scoring night from Jason Tatum. For game 2, I see the Warriors bouncing back with a win that covers the 4-point spread.