The Panel Previews Celtics vs. Mavericks NBA Finals Game 5

Our Celtics vs. Mavericks Game 5 Picks

The NBA Finals finally got a jolt on Friday night, or was that a dud? It depends on what fans you talk to.

Boston never were in Game 4 and seemed to be looking forward to Game 5 before anyone else as Dallas stamped their authority and routed the Celtics by a whopping 38 points.

Boston still holds a commanding 3-1 series lead, and little of what Dallas did would matter if a familiar mantra were to hold.

Yes. Boston looked flat-out disinterested on Friday night. They were even outscored by six in the fourth quarter as Dallas took the lead by over 40 points at one point.

If anyone expected 35 first-half points from Boston, good luck!

The Celtics almost shot better from three-point range; even that 34.1% was not great.

Dallas outscored Boston on the rebounds 52-31, including 13-4 on the offensive glass and Dereck Lively II had what felt like an NBA Finals record seven offensive rebounds in 22 minutes (12 total).

Alright, that’s enough carnage talk!

Can the Celtics finish this series off? Game 5 will be televised on ABC starting at 8:30 p.m. ET.

The Panel has mulled over the key stats come up with these betting predictions from sports betting sites ahead of the big game.

Time To Put Up Or Shut Up For Boston

Boston come into Game 5 at something of a crossroads having lost for only the third time this postseason, but this defeat felt like several all at once.

The opening Game 5 moneylines shifted around very little and have stayed pretty much around 6.5.

Predictably, the moneyline has not wandered too far from -250 for the Boston Celtics with NBA betting sites and if that looks familiar, we saw this for Games 1 and 2.

In all honesty, Boston saw the best of Dallas in Game 4 while the Mavericks have only seen a few glimpses of the Celtics at their most brilliant since that 37-point opening quarter during Game 1.

This series has been more about Boston playing the big points better as they have the ability to build leads, then hold on.

Jason Kidd and Dallas know what's coming Monday night, so can Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic play well together on the road here?

The answer to the latter may be yes, but it still may not matter. Boston are not shooting under 40% on Monday night.

The public got their fifth game while Boston and Tatum would love to close this one out at home, and this is their chance.

Championship teams close the door. It’s your move, Boston!

The Panel believes Game 5 will end the NBA season but one heck of an ending it will be.

The Panel Pick 1: Boston For The Home Cover @ -104 With DraftKings

Let’s Flip The Script Once

This number is all about taking a shot.

Dallas finally delivered its offense on a silver platter with 122 points on Friday night, but nobody is expecting a repeat on Monday.

However, this will be the best chance of seeing both teams score over 100 points in the same game given how close Dallas were to scoring 100 in Boston.

Dallas and Boston keep seeing this trend upward in points.

There were 196 in Game 1, 203 in Game 2, 205 in Game 3, and 206 in Game 4.

That Game 4 included Boston not showing up in the first half.

Maybe they all had paid vacation time. Whatever the case, the Celtics and Mavericks might finally just put on that offensive showing.

There are always more options, but the tunnel vision seems to be on the wager that few dare go to.

It was funny on Friday. We joked about why the Over/Under was not 209.5. Guess what? The sportsbooks listened to us one game late.

Expect some points to reign down from both sides as the Over appears in the final stanza.

The Panel Pick 2: Boston and Dallas Over 209.5 Points @ -110 With FanDuel

Time For Tatum To Take His Lead

Those tiny wagers often make the difference between the winning and losing week.

It's often a marathon and not a sprint. However, when it comes to the NBA season, the final kick of the sprint is here. So, Jayson Tatum, we are waiting.

In the midst of Game 4's debacle, Tatum managed 15 points in 27 minutes. Given what Dallas did to Boston, that sounds like little reason for optimism in Game 5.

However, Tatum got to the foul line six times in a limited time.

Here is the potential reality: Tatum attempts a few more three-pointers (he only went 1-4 in Game 4)