The 2024 NBA Finals are now underway, and it's a matchup that few would have anticipated when the season began. The Dallas Mavericks overcame long odds and challenging series against the top-seeded Thunder and third-seeded Timberwolves to advance to the league's championship round for the first time since 2011.
They're now facing the Boston Celtics, who have cruised through the postseason against a trio of overmatched and undermanned teams in the Heat, Cavaliers, and Pacers. The Celtics trounced the Mavs by 18 points in Game 1 and held on for a decisive seven-point win at home in Game 2 to strengthen their stranglehold on the series.
Stay tuned here as we bring you updated betting analysis, the latest props markets, and other postseason news as the NBA championship odds heat up with Game 4 in Dallas on Friday night.
NBA Finals expert predictions
| Writer | NBA Finals Winner | NBA Finals MVP |
|---|---|---|
 Rory Breasail |
 Mavericks |
Luka Doncic |
 Andrew Caley |
Mavericks |
Luka Doncic |
 Douglas Farmer |
Mavericks |
Luka Doncic |
 Jason Logan |
 Celtics |
Jayson Tatum |
 Jon Metler |
Mavericks |
Luka Doncic |
 Ryan Murphy |
Celtics |
Jayson Tatum |
 Rohit Ponnaiya |
Celtics |
Jayson Tatum |
Picks made prior to the NBA Finals.
NBA Finals Game 4 hub
- Celtics vs. Mavs Game 4 picks and predictions
- Celtics vs. Mavs first quarter predictions
- Celtics vs. Mavs same-game parlay picks
- Kyrie Irving odds and prop picks
- Jayson Tatum odds and prop picks
- NBA Finals Game 4 matchup odds, injuries, and stats
- NBA Finals MVP odds
- We asked ChatGPT to predict the outcome of the NBA Finals
NBA Finals most rebounds odds
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum |
+165 |
| Luka Doncic |
+165 |
| Dereck Lively II |
+230 |
| Jrue Holiday |
+3,000 |
| PJ Washington |
+8,000 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of June 14, 2024.
The Boston Celtics may have two traditional — well, traditional-ish — big men in Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis, but Jayson Tatum has always been their best rebounder. Start with the simple reality of the regular season: Tatum led Boston with 8.1 rebounds per game, nearly a board more per game than Porzingis and almost two compared to Horford.
In each of the last two postseasons — 20 games last year, 14 thus far this year — Tatum has averaged well more than 10 rebounds per game.
At +165, betting Tatum to grab more rebounds than Doncic is the right wager.
Pick: Jayson Tatum (+165)
NBA Finals most 3-pointers made
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Derrick White |
-175 |
| Luka Doncic |
+220 |
| Jayson Tatum |
+550 |
Odds courtesy of FanDuel as of June 14, 2024.
Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum may be the bigger names, but it's impossible to ignore the value on Derrick White, who leads both teams with 3.4 made threes on 47.1% shooting from beyond the arc. The 3-and-D specialist has hit four 3-pointers or more five times this postseason and should benefit from plenty of clean looks as Dallas' defenders scramble to cover Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis.
Pick: Derrick White (-175)
NBA Finals correct score odds
| Outcome | Odds |
|---|---|
| Celtics 4-0 |
-110 |
| Celtics 4-1 |
+175 |
| Celtics 4-2 |
+1,100 |
| Celtics 4-3 |
+1,200 |
| Mavericks 4-3 |
+1,700 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of June 14, 2024.
No team has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit and it's unlikely the Mavs will be the first. However, Dallas showed plenty of fight in Game 3, managing to pull within one point in the fourth quarter before Luka Doncic fouled out. The Mavs are resilient, and with Porzingis' status still up in the air, there's plenty of value to be found in a five-game series. Count out Kyrie & Co. at your own peril.
Pick: Celtics 4-1 (+175)
2024 NBA Finals MVP odds
| Player | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics |
-280 |
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics |
+250 |
| Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks |
+2,200 |
| Jrue Holiday | Boston Celtics |
+7,500 |
| Kyrie Irving | Dallas Mavericks |
+9,000 |
| Derrick White | Boston Celtics |
+11,000 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings as of June 14, 2024.
Many fans were surprised when Jaylen Brown earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP honors, but the All-Star guard has shown that plaudit was no fluke with his exceptional play against the Mavs. Brown is averaging 24.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 5.7 assists while playing aggressive, pin-down defense on Doncic. Tatum has had his moments, but Brown's consistency and two-way play earn him the nod here.
Pick: Jaylen Brown (-280)
Dallas Mavericks X-factor: Luka Doncic
It may seem stupid to say the best player on the Mavs is their X-factor, but Luka Doncic’s postseason performance is something the Celtics haven’t messed with yet.
Boston has had the luck of the Irish in the tournament, with opponents’ best talents going down with injuries. And on top of that, the C’s always have the best player on the floor in Jayson Tatum. Until now.
Doncic torched the T-Wolves’ tough defense for 32 points and near triple double per game in the West finals on two bad legs. Now, with the finals giving him a week off, Luka is locked and loaded to beat up Boston.
Boston Celtics X-factor: Kristaps Porzingis
Boston has its biggest X-factor back with the "Unicorn" in the lineup.
The former Maverick is a two-way troublemaker, using his length to protect the rim and giving Dallas’ defense fits on pick-and-roll schemes. He’s much more active than Al Horford and gives Joe Mazzulla favorable lineup options.
Porzingis is a better outside shooter than Minnesota’s bigs and can stretch the Mavericks' interior, opening up things inside for the Celtics' slashers. The 10-day break between games is just what the Celtics needed to get their X-factor back in the mix.
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2024 NBA Finals schedule
| Game | Date/Time | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | June 6 @ 8:30 pm ET | TD Garden |
| Game 2 | June 9 @ 8:00 pm ET | TD Garden |
| Game 3 | June 12 @ 8:30 pm ET | American Airlines Center |
| Game 4 | June 14 @ 8:30 pm ET | American Airlines Center |
| Game 5 (if necessary) | June 17 @ 8:30 pm ET | TD Garden |
| Game 6 (if necessary) | June 20 @ 8:30 pm ET | American Airlines Center |
| Game 7 (if necessary) | June 23 @ 8:00 pm ET | TD Garden |
2025 NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA Finals in five games over the Dallas Mavericks.
The NBA championship trophy is named after Larry O'Brien, the third commissioner of the NBA, who served from 1975 to 1984. The trophy was previously known as the Walter A. Brown Trophy and was renamed in honor of Larry O'Brien in 1984.
Jerry West is the all-time leader in career points in NBA Finals history with 1,679 points. LeBron James ranks second with 1,562 career points. Other active players in the top 50 include Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving.
Bill Russell has won the most NBA championships with 11 titles during his 13-year playing career. He also holds the record for the most career wins in the NBA Finals, with 45 wins. The Top 5 players with the most appearances in NBA Finals are Bill Russell, Sam Jones, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson.
The Boston Celtics have the most NBA Championships (18) of any team ever, followed by the Los Angeles Lakers (17).
