Mavericks vs. Celtics NBA expert prediction and odds for Friday, March 1 (Trust Boston to cover?)
Betting odds, pick and prediction for the Boston Celtics' matchup with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
By Peter Dewey
The Boston Celtics can’t seem to lose right now, winning nine straight games to build a massive lead atop the Eastern Conference standings.
They’ll look to push their win streak to double digits in a favorable matchup on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks, who may not have Luka Doncic (questionable) in this game.
If Doncic sits, the Mavericks could be in trouble, as they are just 3-5 without their MVP candidate this season.
Boston won the first meeting between these teams in Dallas, and it comes into this game as a 9.5-point favorite. Should we lay the points with the C’s?
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Here are the latest odds and my best bet for this matchup on Friday:
Mavericks vs. Celtics odds, spread and total
Mavericks vs. Celtics how to watch
- Date: Friday, March 1
- Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: TD Garden
- How to watch (TV): ESPN
- Mavs record: 34-25
- Celtics record: 46-12
Mavericks vs. Celtics injury reports
Mavericks injury report
- Greg Brown III – out
- Luka Doncic – questionable
- AJ Lawson – out
- Maxi Kleber – available
- Dereck Lively II – available
- Brandon Williams – out
Celtics injury report
- JD Davison – out
- Drew Peterson – out
- Jordan Walsh – out
Mavericks vs. Celtics key players to watch
Dallas Mavericks
Kyrie Irving: With Doncic questionable, there’s a chance Irving takes on an even bigger role against his former team. This season, Kyrie is averaging 30.6 points, 6.6 assists, and 6.0 rebounds in five games without Doncic. Over his last seven games, Kyrie is averaging 28.9 points per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 44.2 percent from 3.
Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum: Tatum has a case to win the MVP award this season (best player on the best team in the league right now), and he’s coming off a 29-point game in a win over Philly. Earlier this season, Tatum had 39 points, 11 rebounds, and five dimes in a win over the Mavericks.
Mavericks vs. Celtics prediction and pick
With Doncic’s status up in the air, I have to side with Boston in this game to cover as a home favorite.
While the Celtics haven’t been great against the number at home (16-14 against the spread), they have won those games by an average margin of 13.8 points per game. Given Dallas’ struggles without Luka this season, this game could get out of hand quickly if he doesn’t suit up.
Meanwhile, Dallas is just 6-7 ATS as a road underdog, and the team lost back-to-back road games to Cleveland and Indiana – two playoff-caliber teams – before beating the Toronto Raptors in its last game.
With Boston fully healthy, I’ll roll with the C’s to take care of business at home.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.