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We’re almost to the finish line of the 2021-22 NBA season, as just two teams remain in the race to secure the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy. It will be the Boston Celtics, led by first-year head coach Ime Udoka, and the Golden State Warriors, who, after a two-year playoff absence, are back in the NBA Finals for the sixth time in the last eight seasons.

Both teams would be deserving champions, but which one is the betting favorite in this star-studded Finals matchup?

The Warriors are short favorites to beat the Celtics in the NBA Finals

Stephen Curry looks on against the Celtics.
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors reacts during a game against the Boston Celtics | Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images

The Celtics and Warriors present a fairly even matchup on paper. Both teams won a hair more than 50 games in the regular season, and both feature All-NBA performers in Jayson Tatum and Stephen Curry.

But one team has something crucially important that the other doesn’t, and that’s experience. Steve Kerr and the Warriors’ core of Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have already played in five NBA Finals. They all also have three championship rings on their fingers. The Celtics, on the other hand, don’t have a single player on their roster with NBA Finals experience.

Pair that with the fact that Golden State has home-court advantage in the series, and Las Vegas has pegged the Warriors as -160 favorites to beat Boston and win their fourth title since 2015. The Celtics come back as +130 underdogs to win it all. If you’re interested in betting the series spread, the Warriors are favored by 1.5 games at +148 odds, and the Celtics are +1.5 games at -184 odds.

Oddsmakers think the 2022 Finals will come down to the wire, as the +185 odds for the series to go seven games is the lowest of the bunch. The series to go six games is +190, five games is +250, and a sweep is +650.

The Warriors are set as 3.5-point home favorites in Game 1, with the total currently sitting at 211.5.

Stephen Curry is the favorite to win Finals MVP

Curry famously doesn’t have an NBA Finals MVP on his resume, but oddsmakers believe he’s the most likely player to win the award this season. The future Hall of Famer is the betting favorite to win Finals MVP at +130 odds.

Check out the full Finals MVP odds below:

Stephen Curry +130
Jayson Tatum +175
Jaylen Brown +1000
Klay Thompson +1400
Draymond Green +1400
Jordan Poole +3000
Marcus Smart +3800
Andrew Wiggins +4100
Al Horford +12000
Kevon Looney +18000
Robert Williams +23000

If I had to choose how to attack the 2022 Finals from a betting perspective, I’d give a hard look to Boston at +130 to pull off the upset. I think Curry is extremely likely to win MVP if the Warriors do win it all, so you could toss in a +130 Finals MVP bet on the sharpshooter and have a great chance of winning one of those plus-money bets.

Good luck with all your action in what should be a thrilling Finals matchup!

All betting odds courtesy of FanDuel as of 5/30.

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Staff Writer

Jack Dougherty

Writing professionally since 2015, Jack Dougherty spent six years as a sportswriter with publications such as GoPSUSports.com, the Centre Daily Times, and the Associated Press before joining Sportscasting in 2020. He covers the NBA, the NFL, and the world of golf extensively and has added expertise on any team located in or around his hometown of Philadelphia. Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles, the Philadelphia 76ers, and Philadelphia Phillies.

When Jack isn’t writing about sports, he’s watching them or playing them as he regularly heads to the gym for some pickup basketball or the golf course to hit the links. He’s also an avid participant in the sports betting scene who worked at a casino sportsbook for a year and learned the ins and outs of the industry before bringing his expertise to Sportscasting with one excellent gambling recommendation after another.