Predictions are starting to roll in for the much-anticipated 2022 NBA Finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors.
One former Celtics star, Antoine Walker, is picking his old team to emerge victorious and win its 18th championship at TD Garden in front of the home fans.
2022 NBA Finals preview: Three reasons why Celtics can beat Warriors
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Check out the "First Things First" video below to hear Walker's explanation for predicting the Celtics winning in six games.
Most experts are predicting the Warriors to win their fourth title since 2015. Even the oddsmakers expect the Warriors to be crowned champions. FiveThirtyEight, which has been bullish on the Celtics longer than pretty much everyone, gives the Celtics an 80 percent chance (!) of winning the series, according to its predictive model.
The Celtics can absolutely win this series. They have an elite defense, a very good head coach and two All-Star caliber scorers in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Boston Celtics
Let's not forget the Celtics are the only team since 2015 with a winning record (9-7) against the Warriors. They've also won four of their last five matchups with Golden State.
It's not a surprise the Warriors are favored. It also wouldn't be shocking at all if the Celtics pulled off the upset.