Mavs vs Celtics Same-Game Parlay Picks for Tonight's Game

The Boston Celtics' defense was the big story in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, holding Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks to just 89 points — but Game 2 could be a different story, with both offenses primed to heat up.

A 72-hour break before tonight’s matchup was likely a welcome luxury for the Mavs as they try to rediscover their mojo against a Boston defense with no weak spots. I expect Dallas to look much sharper, but I still feel more comfortable with a heavy Celtics focus for my Game 2 NBA picks.

Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis grabbed the headlines on Thursday, but I like two other Boston starters to have their say tonight.

Mavericks vs Celtics parlay picks June 9

• Tatum Over 9.5 rebounds
• Horford Over 1.5 threes
• Over 214.5
  (+466 at FanDuel)

Best Mavericks vs Celtics parlay picks for Sunday

NBA parlay pick

Jayson Tatum Over 9.5 rebounds

Al Horford Over 1.5 threes

Over 214.5

+466 at FanDuel

Jayson Tatum’s patient, unselfish play was a key factor in the Boston Celtics' dominant first half in Game 1. Scoring will always be his calling card, but Tatum did some of his best work on the boards on Thursday, while also finishing with five assists.

I’m jumping on the Over for his rebounding prop for Game 2, with the expectation that the Dallas Mavericks will try to get the Boston big men involved in the action on the perimeter, leaving Tatum to clean the glass. That’s a role he continues to perform willingly.

Tatum had 11 rebounds in Game 1 — his third straight outing with a double-digit tally. Going back further, he’s had at least 10 boards in 12 of Boston’s 15 contests in the 2024 playoffs, for an average of 10.4 rpg overall. He also logged a game-high 42 minutes on Thursday and a similar workload should mean plenty of misses to vacuum up, especially after the Mavs shot just 26% from deep in the series opener.

As Dallas weighs up defensive tweaks, I expect a bigger emphasis on stopping Tatum and Jaylen Brown at the expense of open shots for Al Horford and Jrue Holiday — and that opens up some interesting props.

Horford has been streaky from beyond the arc this postseason but, with some wide-open looks coming his way, I like the NBA odds for him to knock down at least two triples tonight.

Porzingis’ return changes the Boston rotation, but Horford is still in line for close to 30 minutes. The Celtics veteran went 2-for-5 from deep in Game 1 and he’s had double-digit attempts from 3-point range in three of his last six outings.

I also don’t see the Dallas offense getting bogged down for a second straight game, so the total O/U of 214.5 feels a little light. A more efficient night for Kyrie Irving and the Dallas role players is a reasonable expectation, while you can count on Boston to launch a steady diet of 3-pointers.

With Luka Doncic figuring out counters to this Boston defense, I like both teams to crack the 100-point mark and hit the Over on this total.

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