The 2022 NBA Finals tip off on Thursday from San Francisco – the first-ever NBA Finals game in that city – as the favored Golden State Warriors host the Boston Celtics. It has been a postseason full of blowouts; will we finally get a close game?

These teams split two regular-season games. The one in San Francisco was a 110-88 Celtics victory on March 16. Dubs star Stephen Curry, the 2022 NBA Finals MVP favorite, went down with a left foot injury late in the first half. Curry had just three points when he left. Jayson Tatum had 26 points and 12 rebounds to lead Boston, while Jalen Brown also scored 26 points. Marcus Smart wound up with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting and eight assists. Boston has won four straight as the road team in the series.

Nitrobetting is ready to dish out some slick assists to get bets into the back of the net. This time, let’s break down the upcoming 2022 NBA Finals Game 1 matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors, along with the latest NBA odds and information about the teams and players involved.

Celtics vs. Warriors Game 1 Information

• When: Thursday, June 2, 8:30 PM ET
• Where: Chase Center, San Francisco, CA
• TV: ESPN/ABC
• Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub (Celtics) // 95.7 The Game (Warriors)
• Live Stream: NHL Live
• NHL Betting Odds: Celtics (+3.5) / Warriors (-3.5)

READ MORE: 2022 NBA Finals MVP Odds and Picks

Why Bet on the Boston Celtics?

Boston had the best average scoring differential (+9.0 PPG) of any Warriors opponent this season thanks in large part to its 110-88 win on March 16 in San Francisco. The C’s also suffered a 111-107 loss to the Warriors at TD Garden, but that was all the way back on Dec. 17 before they turned their season around.

Despite having elite perimeter players, Golden State has had trouble matching up against Boston’s length and versatility.

“I think that with who we are defensively against a really good offensive team, the benefit is having Marcus (Smart), Jayson (Tatum), Jaylen (Brown) on the perimeter,” said Celtics coach Ime Udoka, “but also, you have bigs that they can’t just pick on, like Rob (Williams), Al (Horford), Grant (Williams).”

When Smart takes the floor for Game 1 of the Finals, it will mark just the 10th time that the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year plays in the Finals in the year in which he won the award, which was first handed out in 1983. Smart has given Steph Curry fits in their careers.

Why Bet on the Golden State Warriors?

Curry hasn’t been quite the automatic shooter that he was in past postseasons. His shooting splits of 44.9 percent from the field, 38.0 percent from 3-point range and 82.2 percent from the free throw line would be terrific for any other player, but he’s the best shooter in league history and has a high bar to clear. Still, that shooting has powered the Warriors to the best offense in the NBA playoffs.

These two teams have met four times in the playoffs, with Boston winning every series, including a 1964 NBA Finals meeting (4-1). It’s the Warriors franchise’s 12th appearance in the NBA Finals, third-most in NBA history, trailing only the Lakers (32) and Celtics (22).

Three-pointers likely will decide this series. The Warriors were 20-1 when they made 17 or more three-pointers in a game this year, and 5-13 this season when they made 11 or fewer shots from downtown. Boston has arguably the best perimeter defense in pro basketball right now, and the Celtics’ ability to defend the arc is a big reason they are here in the first place. Boston held its opponents to the lowest 3-point percentage of any team in the NBA (33.9%), and it has been even better against the 3 in the postseason, holding opponents to 31.7% shooting from downtown.

The Warriors have a 42-32 record in Game 1s in the playoffs, including 21-2 since 2015. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Warriors have an all-time record of 8-3, including 4-1 since 2015 (only loss was to Toronto in 2019). The Warriors are 7-0 all-time when playing at home in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Golden State has won 13 consecutive Game 1s that have been played at home, third-longest such streak in NBA history, trailing only the Lakers (20, 1982-88) and Bulls (19, 1992-2011).

For what it’s worth, the last 3 NBA champions have defeated teams that Jimmy Butler was playing for en route to winning the NBA championship. The Celtics beat Butler’s Heat in the East Finals.

Celtics vs. Warriors Betting Trends

• Celtics are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
• Celtics are 15-6-1 ATS in their last 22 games overall.
• Celtics are 37-17-2 ATS in their last 56 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
• Warriors are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games.
• Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
• Warriors are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.

Celtics vs. Warriors Expert Betting Predictions

Warriors 107, Celtics 104.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NBA game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.

READ MORE: 2022 NBA Finals Game 1 Takeaways