The Dallas Mavericks (24-21) will aim for their second consecutive upset victory when they host the Boston Celtics (31-14) on Saturday evening. Dallas is coming off its biggest win of the season, taking down Oklahoma City as an 11.5-point road underdog on Thursday. Boston had its two-game winning streak snapped in a 117-96 loss to the Lakers on Thursday in the third game of a four-game road trip. The Celtics and Mavericks have not met since Boston won the 2024 NBA Finals in five games.
Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET at American Airlines Arena in Dallas. The Celtics are favored by 8 points in the latest Mavericks vs. Celtics odds, according to the SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points scored is 222.5 points. Before entering any Celtics vs. Mavericks picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 14 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 136-99 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Dallas vs. Boston. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Mavericks vs. Celtics:
- Mavericks vs. Celtics spread: Celtics -8
- Mavericks vs. Celtics over/under: 222.5 points
- Mavericks vs. Celtics money line: Celtics: -323, Mavericks: +250
- Mavericks vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Mavericks vs. Celtics streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Mavericks can cover
Dallas has knocked off Oklahoma City twice in the past week, accounting for 25% of the Thunder’s total losses this season. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander missed the first meeting with a wrist injury, but he was on the court for Thursday’s contest in Oklahoma City. Forward PJ Washington had 22 points and 19 rebounds in a massive performance to help Dallas pull off the big upset.
Point guard Spencer Dinwiddie scored 28 points on 11 of 14 shooting, while veteran guard Kyrie Irving scored 24 points. The Mavericks continue to play without Luka Doncic due to a calf injury, and Klay Thompson (ankle) is a game-time decision after missing the last two games. Boston has only covered the spread twice in its last eight games, including once in its last five games against Western Conference opponents. See which team to pick here.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston continues its four-game road trip after losing to the Lakers on Thursday night, and the Celtics have not lost back-to-back games since Christmas Day. They opened the road trip with consecutive wins over the Warriors and Clippers, giving them a 16-6 record in road games this season. Jayson Tatum scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Golden State, as the Celtics handed the Warriors their most lopsided home loss in 40 years.
Jaylen Brown was the leading scorer in the win over the Clippers, finishing with 25 points and six assists. While Dallas is dealing with multiple key injuries, Boston has a clean bill of health entering this matchup. The Celtics have won eight of the last nine meetings between these teams, covering the spread in seven of those contests. See which team to pick here.
How to make Mavericks vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Mavericks 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Mavericks vs. Celtics, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Celtics vs. Mavericks spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 136-99 roll on top-rated NBA picks since last season, and find out.
