We are already nearing the end of the NBA Playoffs, as we’re into Game 4 of the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics are up 3-0 on the Dallas Mavericks, and Luka Doncic and Co. will be trying to avoid a sweep at home. Make sure you check out what Jonathan Von Tobel is doing for the rest of the series. He’s still providing his exceptional game-by-game deep dives, while also jumping on any trending topics in the NBA. However, all of my picks will be featured in this daily column, which will combine my NBA best bets and NBA player props. So, keep reading to find out how I’m playing Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday, June 14th. Also, check out our NBA Finals Betting Hub for all of our series content.
MORE: Check out our Pro Picks page for everything our experts have on June 14
NBA Best Bets Today – June 14
Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks (Game 4) – 8:30 pm ET
I wish I could say I was on the right side of this series before it started. When asked who I liked to win, I constantly said Boston. But I thought the series was going to be pretty close, which is why I ultimately landed on the Mavericks at a big plus-money number. Well, Boston has outclassed Dallas in every aspect of the game. And I think the Celtics are going to be celebrating a title on the road team’s floor.
It really just feels like the Mavericks threw their best punch in Game 3, but it simply wasn’t good enough. Dallas had an early lead and all of the momentum in the world, but Boston was able to weather the storm. They cut into the Mavericks’ first-half lead and then pulled away a bit in the third quarter. Sure, Boston ended up letting Dallas back in the game, but the Celtics were able to lock back in whenever they needed to. Now, Boston is going up against a defeated Dallas team, and I trust the Celtics to step on their throats.
It’s just hard to ignore the fact that Boston continues to defend both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving at a high level. In fact, the Celtics absolutely smothered Doncic in Game 3, taking away absolutely everything from him and also getting to him mentally with their physical brand of defense. And on the other end of the floor, the Celtics have been relentless in attacking Doncic. Boston isn’t consistently scoring directly on Doncic, but the team is making all of the right passes when the Dallas superstar’s teammates come to help him out. That is leading to the Celtics scoring easily around the basket, and also getting open looks from deep. The latter is extremely concerning with the best 3-point shooting team in the league.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Doncic ends up having a big game offensively in Game 4, as he has been the subject of a lot of criticism in this series. But I don’t think that will be enough for the Mavericks to beat the Celtics. Doncic’s teammates haven’t consistently been helping him offensively, and the Slovenian’s defense is going to continue to be a problem.
Bet: Celtics +1.5 (-120 – 2 units)
NBA Player Props Today – June 14
Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks (Game 4) – 8:30 pm ET
It seems pretty unlikely that Kristaps Porzingis will play in Game 4. Maybe the Latvian will push to be out there in a closeout game, as he probably wants to be a small part of what could be the final game in the series. But I just can’t see Boston being careless with a valuable piece of the future. With that in mind, I’m expecting a heavy dose of Al Horford here. Horford only had five rebounds in Game 3, but I think he’ll end up with at least seven in Game 4. After all, Horford is averaging 10.7 rebound chances per game since the start of the NBA Finals. And he also happened to pull down seven rebounds in each of the first two games in this series. Those were games in which Porzingis played, meaning Horford had a smaller role. That also makes me feel pretty good about taking this bet in the event Porzingis plays. It’s not an unreachable mark even if Horford plays 30 minutes instead of 37.
Bet: Horford Over 6.5 Rebounds (-128)
2023-24 Record: 385-425-3 (-0.18 units)
