A fourth quarter for the ages in Thursday’s Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals has upended the championship futures market across national online sportsbooks.
Boston, which outscored Golden State 40-16 in the final stanza of Game 1’s 120-108 victory, is now the series favorite.
That climb can be attributed to the three-pronged attack of Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Derrick White — who scored 71 points among them in Game 1 — in addition to superstar forward Jayson Tatum, who had 12 points and 13 assists.
That quartet, in addition to point guard Marcus Smart (18 points), sparked a 24-point turnaround for the Eastern Conference champions that has put the Celtics in the driver’s seat.
At least that’s the takeaway from four major online sportsbooks.
Here’s what you need to know heading into Sunday’s Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which tips off from Chase Center at 8 p.m. Eastern time.
There is currently no legal Massachusetts sports betting sites.
As it currently sits, Gov. Charlie Baker would sign a bill but has not been presented with one. Bills have not passed yet in either the House or Senate.
It will be a large market in the United States when it does pass.
NBA Finals Schedule
- Game 1: Boston 120, Golden State 108. Celtics lead 1-0
- Game 2: Sunday at Golden State, 8 p.m., ABC
- Game 3: Wednesday at Boston, 9 p.m., ABC
- Game 4: June 10 at Boston, 9 p.m., ABC
- Game 5: June 13 at Golden State, 9 p.m., ABC (if nec.)
- Game 6: June 16 at Boston, 9 p.m., ABC (if nec.)
- Game 7: June 19 at Golden State, 8 p.m., ABC (if nec.)
Celtics Now Considered NBA Finals Favorites
The Warriors no longer find themselves as the NBA title favorites for the first time in weeks.
BetMGM Massachusetts, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook all list the Celtics as the series favorites heading into Game 2.
BetMGM lists Boston at -165 to win the championship, while the Celtics are at -170 on FanDuel Sportsbook. Golden State is +140 at both.
Boston is -165 at Caesars Sportsbook, and -190 at DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Warriors entered the NBA Finals with odds ranging from -150 to -160 on the four sites, while Boston was +130 before the series started at BetMGM.
Golden State Still the Game 2 Favorites
The four major sportsbooks still have Golden State as the Game 2 favorites on Sunday night.
The Warriors are anywhere from -170 (DraftKings Sportsbook) to -190 (Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts) to even the series before the Finals shift back to Boston for Games 3 and 4.
BetMGM has Boston as a +140 moneyline underdog in Game 2. Golden State is -165. BetMGM lists Boston as a 4.5-point underdog in the game, with the over/under total points at 215.5.
A year ago, Milwaukee overcame a 2-0 series deficit against Phoenix to win the NBA Finals in six games.
