The wait is over, it’s time for the 2024 NBA Playoffs!
Dallas Mavericks @ Boston Celtics (10:30am)
Best Bet
Jrue Holiday is no stranger to the NBA Finals, albeit he was wearing a Milwaukee jersey at the time. In 2021, Holiday played in 6 Finals Games before ultimately helping win the championship alongside Giannis and the Bucks. Jrue averaged 9.3 Assists in that series, clearing this line in every game.
Now at Boston, Jrue has probably made the biggest sacrifice out of all the Boston starters to contribute to team success. He averaged 4.8 Assists for the regular season, 5.8 Assists over the Eastern Conference Finals and 6.5 Assists in the two meetings with Dallas this season.
With the return of Kristaps Porzingis for Boston, Holiday will be plunged further down the pecking order as far as points production is concerned and can revert back to his natural facilitator role. Minutes won’t be a problem, as he will be required on the defensive end for the entire game as Dallas have one of the most dangerous frontcourts in history. Boston have been shooting 48%FG for this entire playoff run, if they continue to shoot well there should be plenty of assists for him.
Value Bet
The Mavericks rookie has had an extremely successful start to his NBA career, after going Pick 12 on draft night. After being traded by Oklahoma City Thunder, he has found the perfect fit in Dallas.
Although Lively won’t start, he does play starter minutes. He has cleared 8 Rebounds in 6 of his last 8 games, which also includes a game he sustained a neck injury and only played 9 minutes. With games of 9, 10, 11 and 15 inside his last 6 appearances, it’s worth considering +10 at $3.45.
If you’re looking for something even longer, I can’t leave out a Luka Doncic Triple Double at $4.25. With 3 T.D’s in the OKC series and 2 against Minnesota, Luka is doing serious heavy lifting for Dallas and it will take his best, if they are to beat Boston for four games.
SGM – Holiday Over 4.5 Assists/ Lively +6 Rebounds/ Porzingis +2 3 pointers = $3.60
