Warriors vs. Celtics Game 3 Betting: Back the Celtics to Get Momentum Back

The 2021-22 NBA Finals are all evened up at one game apiece following the Golden State Warriors’ dominant performance on Sunday. The series is now ready to head to Boston as Game 3 is slated to be played on Wednesday, June 8.

The Warriors entered Game 2 knowing that they had to win after blowing a fourth-quarter lead in the series opener. The 107-88 victory is exactly what Golden State needed and it’ll be interesting to see how they follow it up on the road.

Meanwhile, the Celtics have a lot of reflecting to do. They could’ve pushed the Warriors’ backs against the wall in Game 2, but didn’t exactly show up. They must figure out how to use the hometown support to their advantage or risk going down 2-1.

Can the Warriors parlay their newfound momentum into a victory? Or will the Celtics force their opponents to play catch-up this time?

Golden State Warriors vs. Boston Celtics NBA Finals Game 3 Betting Odds and Matchup Information

Matchup Information

• Matchup: #3 Golden State Warriors vs. #2 Boston Celtics
• Venue & Location: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
• Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2022
• Time: 9 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Wednesday’s Warriors vs. Celtics Game 3: ABC

Warriors vs. Celtics Game 3 Odds (Monday, June 6)

Odds are via our top reviewed and recommended sportsbooks.

BetOnline

• Spread: Golden State Warriors +3.5 (-108), Boston Celtics -3.5 (-112)
• Over/Under: OVER 212 (-110), UNDER 215.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Golden State Warriors +134, Boston Celtics -158

Bovada Sportsbook

• Spread: Golden State Warriors +3.5 (-110), Boston Celtics -3.5 (-110)
• Over/Under: OVER 212.5 (-110), UNDER 212.5 (-110)
• Moneyline: Golden State Warriors +140, Boston Celtics -160

BetUS

• Spread: Golden State Warriors +3.5 (-109), Boston Celtics -3.5 (-112)
• Over/Under: OVER 212.5 (-110), UNDER 212.5 (-112)
• Moneyline: Golden State Warriors +135, Boston Celtics -159

Warriors Look to Continue Dominance in Boston

With the NBA Finals heading to Boston, some people are wondering if the Warriors can continue their dominance on the road. Fortunately, their recent history with the Celtics shows how realistic of a possibility that is.

Golden State is an impressive 6-3 straight up in its last nine trips to TD Garden. Sure, the playoffs are a different animal, but it goes to show that the Warriors are more than comfortable playing on enemy soil.

If the Warriors are going to continue that trend, Stephen Curry has to keep playing like a Finals MVP candidate. The 34-year-old sharpshooter is coming off a 29-point Game 2 performance that saw him make five of his 12 attempted three-pointers.

Curry is now averaging 31.5 PPG in the 2021-22 NBA Finals and has been too much for the Celtics’ defenders to handle. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his fellow Splash Brother, Klay Thompson, who hasn’t been playing so well.

Thompson had an underwhelming 11 points on Sunday night, giving him an average of 13.0 on the series. He’s also shooting 30.3% from the field and 26.7% from three-point range in the NBA Finals, which can be detrimental to the Warriors’ championship aspirations if he can’t turn things around.

Fortunately, Golden State had Jordan Poole picking up the slack in Game 2. The former Michigan Wolverine had 17 points in 22 minutes played off the bench and was even feeling confident enough to hit half-court buzzer-beaters.

With Curry showing no signs of slowing down, a repeat performance from him and Poole — along with Thompson stepping up — would put the Warriors in a great place to win Game 3.

Celtics Can’t Afford Another Slow Start

The first half of Game 2 went well for the Celtics. While they trailed by two points at halftime, the game was far from being out of reach. That all changed once things reached the third quarter, though.

Boston was outscored by Golden State, 35-14, in the third frame of Game 2 of the NBA Finals. On one hand, the Celtics couldn’t buy a bucket, ending the quarter with .235/.250/.667 shooting splits.

On the other hand, the Celtics’ perimeter defense all but vanished. It’s tough for any team to totally shut down the Warriors’ three-point barrage, but things are never going to end well if you let them shoot 7-of-12 (58.3%) from behind the arc.

Jayson Tatum managed to bounce back after his abysmal Game 1 performance, ending Sunday with 28 points. Unfortunately, the rest of Boston’s stars couldn’t do the same.

Jaylen Brown had 17 of his own points in 27 minutes of action but did so by only shooting 29.4% from the field. It didn’t help that Al Horford, Marcus Smart and Robert Williams combined for just six points on 3-of-11 shooting (27.3%).

Throw in the fact that the Celtics had more turnovers (18) than the Warriors (12) and it’s no surprise that they ended up losing the game and the series lead. They’re definitely more talented than they showed, but only time will tell how (and if) they bounce back on Wednesday.

Warriors vs. Celtics NBA Finals Game 3 Prediction and Best Bets

Prediction and best bets are from Monday, June 6.

Prediction: Celtics 107, Warriors 102

Best Bets: Celtics -3.5 (-110 at Bovada Sportsbook) and Under 212 (-110 at BetOnline Sportsbook)

Momentum should be on the Warriors’ side ahead of Game 3, but I actually like the Celtics winning a close one here. I think Boston will get Tatum and Brown going at the same time, whereas Thompson is still having major struggles for Golden State.

I’m also taking the under on this prop because it’s been a consistent trend between the two teams. The total has hit the under in 12 of the last 15 meetings between the Warriors and Celtics, making it likely that it happens again on Wednesday.