Celtics vs. Warriors odds, prediction, line: 2022 NBA Finals picks, Game 6 best bets from expert on 39-18 roll

The Boston Celtics aim to stay alive in the 2022 NBA Finals on Thursday evening. The Celtics trail the Golden State Warriors by a 3-2 margin, with Game 6 set to take place at TD Garden in Boston. The Warriors aim to close out a victory and clinch a title in the process. Boston is listing Robert Williams III (knee) as questionable for Thursday’s game, with Golden State listing both Otto Porter Jr. (foot) and Andre Iguodala (knee) as questionable.

Tip-off is at 9 p.m. ET in Boston. Caesars Sportsbook has Boston as the four-point home favorite, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 210 in the latest Warriors vs. Celtics odds. Before making any Warriors vs. Celtics picks or NBA predictions, you need to see what SportsLine NBA expert Zack Cimini has to say.

A Las Vegas handicapper who’s never afraid to buck conventional wisdom, Cimini excels in multiple sports. Over the past 36 NBA picks, Cimini is 23-14, returning almost $800 to $100 players. He is also on an amazing 39-18-1 run with his last 58 against-the-spread picks involving the Celtics, returning almost $1,700 to $100 players.

Now, Cimini has set his sights on Warriors vs. Celtics, and just locked in his picks and NBA Finals predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Now, here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Warriors:

• Celtics vs. Warriors spread: Celtics -4 
• Celtics vs. Warriors over-under: 210 points 
• Celtics vs. Warriors money line: Celtics -170, Warriors +145
• Celtics vs. Warriors tickets: See tickets at StubHub
• GS: The Warriors are 12-9 against the spread in playoff games 
• BOS: The Celtics are 14-9 against the spread in playoff games

Why the Warriors can cover

The Warriors are playing very well on defense in the series. Golden State is giving up only 107.3 points per 100 possessions to Boston, and the Warriors are forcing a turnover on 16.3 percent of defensive possessions. The Warriors are averaging 9.8 steals per game, and Boston is shooting less than 46 percent on 2-point attempts. 

On the other end, Golden State is elite, including 23 assists and only six turnovers in Game 5. The Warriors are scoring almost 1.15 points per possession in the playoffs, averaging 27.0 assists per game and posting a 59.2 percent true shooting mark. Stephen Curry is averaging 30.6 points per game against the Celtics, making nearly 42 percent of his 3-point attempts in the series. Andrew Wiggins is also excelling, averaging 18.4 points and 9.4 rebounds as Golden State’s second-most effective player. 

Why the Celtics can cover

Boston’s defense is utterly dominant. The Celtics led the NBA in defensive rating this season, giving up only 1.06 points per possession over an 82-game sample. Boston also held opponents to 49.7 percent shooting inside the arc, 33.9 percent from 3-point range, and 43.4 percent on all field goal attempts, leading the NBA in each category. The Celtics have kept that impressive baseline in the playoffs, allowing only 106.2 points per 100 possessions, and opponents are making only 32.7 percent of 3-point shots against Boston in the postseason. 

The Celtics are allowing only 20.6 assists per game in the playoffs, and Boston is blocking 6.2 shots per game. In this series specifically, Boston is also dominating the glass on both ends, including a 74.3 percent defensive rebound rate, and the Celtics are allowing the Warriors to attempt only 16.0 free throws per game. With Boston also shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range and assisting on 69.1 percent of field goals on offense, the Celtics should be comfortable, especially in a home game.

How to make Warriors vs. Celtics picks

For Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals, Cimini is leaning over on the point total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. He’s only sharing what it is, and which side of the Warriors vs. Celtics spread to back, at SportsLine.

So who wins Warriors vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Warriors vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on Thursday, all from the expert that has crushed his NBA picks, and find out.