Following a grueling 82-game regular season and several intense rounds of playoff basketball, we have finally reached the 2022 NBA Finals. This year’s championship series will feature the Golden State Warriors versus the Boston Celtics, with Game 1 set for June 2 at the Chase Center in California. This series is shaping up to be an entertaining affair, but only one team can be the winner when it’s all said and done.
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Here’s a look at the complete 2022 NBA Finals schedule:
- Game 1 – Thursday, June 2: Boston vs. Golden State, 9pm ET
- Game 2 – Sunday, June 5: Boston vs. Golden State, 8pm ET
- Game 3 – Wednesday, June 8: Golden State vs. Boston, 9pm ET
- Game 4 – Friday, June 10: Golden State vs. Boston, 9pm ET
- Game 5 – Monday, June 13: Boston vs. Golden State, 9pm ET (If needed)
- Game 6 – Thursday, June 16: Golden State vs. Boston, 9pm ET (If needed)
- Game 7 – Sunday, June 19: Boston vs. Golden State, 8pm ET (If needed)
This championship matchup has already begun attracting a ton of betting interest, with the Warriors (-150) opening as slight favorites over the Celtics (+130) to win the series. Bovada Sportsbook has tons of betting odds available for this year’s NBA Finals, including series odds, point spreads, game totals, prop bets and more. There’s even betting odds on who will be named NBA Finals MVP when the series is over. With so many betting options available, let’s start by doing some handicapping homework and study both sides of this highly-anticipated matchup.
Golden State Warriors
This will be Golden State’s sixth NBA Finals appearance over the last eight years, an impressive stretch that has the franchise looking like a legitimate dynasty. While the roster went through a major turnover since the last time they made it this far, the trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green still lead the way. Golden State has also done an excellent job of ushering in their next generation of players and will look for meaningful contributions from the likes of Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins.
Golden State’s Road to the Finals
The Warriors were one of the NBA’s best teams since early on in the season. In the end, they ended up with a final record of 52-29; enough for the third seed in the Western Conference. Golden State has enjoyed a relatively easy path to the 2022 NBA Playoffs; they beat the Nuggets 4-1 in the opening round before eliminating the Memphis Grizzlies 4-2 in the second round. They then cruised to victory over the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals, closing out the series in just five games.
Golden State X-Factors
The Warriors may be the betting favorite heading into this series, but they can’t just rely on the shooting of Curry and Thompson to beat Boston. Here are a few important x-factors that may end up deciding the series.
- Staying Healthy
You can bet Golden State is happy to have a few days off before the series begins, as the team has a number of players recovering from injury. Otto Porter Jr. recently returned to practice and is currently day-to-day, while defensive stalwart Gary Payton II and former NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala both remain out but have a real chance of returning to play during the series.
- Defending Tatum
As the best player on the Celtics roster, the Warriors will need to be focused on stopping the former Duke standout. It remains to be seen who will take on this daunting task to start the series; former Defensive Player of the Year Draymond Green could be up for the challenge. Although, they may give the assignment to the lengthy Andrew Wiggins who performed admirably versus Doncic in the last series.
- Succeeding Small
Outside of role player Kevon Looney, Golden State’s biggest presence down low is the 6’9 Draymond Green. This could prove challenging against Boston’s bigs or perhaps it will provide an advantage. It will be interesting to see if the Warriors’ small-ball will work against the size of the Celtics.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics are no stranger to championships, with this year marking the 22nd appearance in the NBA Finals (2nd most all-time). Boston has gone an incredible 17-4 in the finals with their most recent title coming in 2010. This team features the next generation of Celtics greats, including Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart. They also have a ton of grit and toughness with the veteran Al Horford and a young Robert Williams on the block.
Boston’s Road to the Finals
The Celtics struggled in the early going of the regular season and found themselves with a losing record (20-21) at the halfway mark. The team managed to come together for a historic second half of the season, finishing second in the East at 51-31. In fact, Boston put up the best record in NBA history for a team under .500 after 41 games. In the first round of the playoffs, the Celtics disposed of the Brooklyn Nets in an impressive four-game sweep. Things only got tougher from there with a hard-fought seven-game series against the Milwaukee Bucks, then another seven-game series versus the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Boston X-Factors
Odds makers and NBA betting experts have Boston as the underdog in this series but the team offers some intriguing betting value. Here are the Celtics’ x-factors heading into the championship series.
- Getting Physical
It’s not just about Horford and Williams down low; even guys like Tatum and Smart play with a physical presence that can take its toll on opponents over an extended series. - Closing Out Games
As evidence by the end of Game 7 in Miami, the Celtics have a tendency to let allow opposing teams back in the game late. This trend cannot continue versus the Warriors, who are +94 in the fourth quarter during the postseason. - Dominate Defensively
With this year’s DPOY Marcus Smart, All-Defensive Second Team selection Robert Williams and the NBA’s top ranked defense, expect Boston to make life difficult for Curry and the Warriors.
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