Preview and Picks Before Tipoff

Highlights

• The Boston Celtics lead the season series 1-0 against the Dallas Mavericks
• The Mavericks need big performances from Luka Dončić & Kyrie Irving to keep the game close
• Kristaps Porzingis could dominate against his former team

An entertaining matchup will grace the hardwood at TD Garden when the Boston Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

They are coming off a convincing victory over their division rival Philadelphia 76ers, clinching their ninth straight win as a result. Boston had star Jaylen Brown score a team-high 31 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field, also grabbing six rebounds in the process. Jayson Tatum followed suit with 29 points, scoring 15 in the fourth quarter. The Celtics lead 1-0 against Dallas, taking the series opener on the road with a 119-110 victory.

Dallas is coming off a back-to-back where they took a loss to Cleveland before bouncing back with a win against Toronto. With playoff positioning being a top priority for the Mavericks, especially in the Western Conference, they will need Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving to have massive performances to possibly get a crucial win against what is currently the best team in the league.

Injury report and how to watch

Dončić has a day-to-day status; could play Friday night

Celtics

76ers

• Luke Dončić (QUESTIONABLE – Ankle)

How to watch

• 7:30 PM EST, ESPN, NBCS-BOS

Betting Lines

The Celtics are favored to win

Point Spread: Celtics -9.5 (-115) / 76ers +9.5 (-105)

Money Line: Celtics (-450) / 76ers (+350)

Over/Under: 235.5

Our Picks

Expect Porzingis to ball out against his former team

Celtics to win (-450)

A potential 10th straight victory is on the radar for the Celtics, which would continue their longest winning streak of the season. Strong games from Tatum, Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, and even Payton Pritchard have allowed Boston to keep running away as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference and the league as well.

This matchup showcases weaknesses from Dallas that Boston would want to exploit, particularly their lack of size in the frontcourt outside of rookie center Dereck Lively II. This is where Porzingis would come in to dominate his former team, with his remarkable size and shooting ability being a strong threat for the Mavericks to keep tabs on at all times. Porzingis is averaging 23.8 points, seven rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 blocks on 54.3 percent shooting from the field and 47.2 percent from beyond the arc in his last eight appearances.

Mavericks +9.5 (-105)

The Mavericks sit seventh in the Western Conference, with a winning record of 34-25. This means they are outside the top six for an automatic spot in the playoffs as they trail New Orleans by 0.5 games and Phoenix by one game in the standings. If Dončić plays, expect the offense to run through him as he puts up game-breaking numbers of 34.4 points, 9.7 assists, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game while Irving tags along with 25.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 5.1 rebounds as the second option.

As long as Dončić and Irving perform up to expectations, Dallas will keep the game close for a good chunk of time. However, they will need the likes of Tim Hardaway Jr., PJ Washington, and Josh Green to also step up offensively because if the duo struggles, it will be a long night for a squad that is typically a top-10 team on that side of the ball.

Jayson Tatum over 26.5 points (-105)

It would be hard for Dallas to limit Tatum’s scoring production, especially with him coming off a game against Philadelphia where he had an off-night shooting the three-ball. He was 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, as a better display from the perimeter could be expected from the star forward. Tatum is averaging 27.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.1 assists on 50 percent shooting from the field and 33.9 percent from downtown in his last seven games, so have eyes on him for a big performance against a streaky Mavericks defense.

All lines courtesy of BetMGM.