NBA Finals 2024 betting: Celtics- Mavericks props and picks - ESPN

The 2024 NBA Finals get underway Thursday with the Boston Celtics hosting the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of what's expected to be a close, hard-fought series.

Which bets stand out in the Finals? Here are the series and prop bets our experts Andre Snellings, Eric Moody, Tyler Fulghum, Steve Alexander and Jim McCormick are looking to make.

Odds current as of publication time. For most current odds go to ESPN BET

Snellings: I have this series as essentially a toss-up, and at even money I might lean Celtics in 7. But it's not even money, so I'm likely to have some stake in the Mavericks to win at almost 2-1 plus money. The Celtics, on the other hand, aren't getting enough juice for me to bet them straight up.

Alexander: I'm all in on the Mavericks and personally feel like the odds should be closer to even. No team has been able to figure out how to slow Luka Doncic down and I'm not sure the Celtics can, either. The return of Kyrie Irving to Boston is also fascinating, and how he responds could easily determine the outcome of this series. I think Luka and the Mavs are going to feed off the Boston crowd's negative energy and use it to their advantage.

Moody: Mavericks to win the series (+180). The Celtics are known for their defense, but so were the Timberwolves. We saw the outcome of that series. Minnesota led the league in points allowed per 100 possessions during the regular season, with the Celtics ranking third. Meanwhile, the Mavericks have the best player on the floor in Doncic, who is talented enough to exploit the Celtics' defensive schemes just like he did against the Timberwolves. Dallas has been a completely different team since the trade deadline, especially after adding P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford. The