The Boston Celtics are headed to the 2022 NBA Finals -- their first trip to the championship round since 2010 -- and they will meet an experienced Golden State Warriors team that knows how to win on this stage.
The Warriors are back in the Finals after beating the Dallas Mavericks in five games during the Western Conference Finals. It's the Warriors' sixth NBA Finals appearance in the last eight years. They won three of the previous five, including back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018.
Here's the full schedule for Celtics-Warriors NBA Finals
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The Celtics defeated the Miami Heat on the road in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night, finally breaking through to the NBA Finals after coming up frustratingly short in 2017, 2018 and 2020.
Oddsmakers have made the Warriors slight favorites for the series. Here are the latest NBA Finals betting lines, via PointsBet:
- Series moneyline: Warriors -150, Celtics +130
- Series total games: Four (+900), Five (+310), Six (+180), Seven (+160)
- Series correct score: Celtics 4-0 (+2000), Celtics 4-1 (+1200), Celtics 4-2 (+600), Celtics 4-3 (+400), Warriors 4-0 (+1000), Warriors 4-1 (+450), Warriors 4-2 (+500), Warriors 4-3 (+300)
The Warriors are loaded with championship experience and plenty of talent, but the Celtics present a tough matchup for Golden State with their scoring depth, versatility and No. 1 ranked defense.
In fact, the Celtics have played the Warriors tougher than any other team since Golden State became a real title contender in 2015.
Game 1 is scheduled for Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET. The Warriors have homecourt advantage.