The Boston Celtics (6-4) square off against the visiting Dallas Mavericks (7-4) at the TD Garden. The game starts at 7:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Nov. 18 and will air on CNE and FSW.
The Celtics were victorious over the Rockets 111-95 on Monday. Isaiah Thomas was the game’s high scorer with 23 points on 9-for-12 shooting. The Mavericks, meanwhile, are coming off a 92-86 win over the 76ers on Monday. Chandler Parsons played well for Dallas, recording 20 points, five rebounds, and one steal.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, the turnover story could loom large in this showdown. Dallas commits the second-fewest errors in the NBA (turnover percentage of 12.7%), while Boston’s ball-hawking defense causes the most (opponents’ turnover percentage of 18.6%).
The Celtics are a five-point favorite in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is 207 points. The Celtics look to build on their records of 6-4 Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS). Opposing offenses have been stifled by the Celtics, who allow a field goal percentage of only .422. Something to watch out for is if Boston can force its opponents into turnovers and convert them into baskets. They’ve done an excellent job of that all year with an average of 24.0 points off turnovers per game.
On the other side, Dallas has a SU record of 7-4 and an ATS record of 6-5. When it comes to making good decisions with the ball, not many are better than the Mavericks. They have one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the league at 1.68. Shifting to the other side of the court, teams seem to consistently miss three-point shots against the Mavericks, who are the fourth-best team in the league in terms of three-point field goal percentage allowed at .306.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time the Celtics and the Mavericks played, Dallas won, bringing its SU record in the past 10 games to 9-1. The Mavericks also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3.
Predictions: SU Winner – Bos, ATS Winner – Bos, O/U – Under
Notes
Boston is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Boston’s last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Boston’s last 10 games at home.
Boston is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Dallas.
Boston is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing Dallas.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Boston’s last 6 games when playing Dallas.
Boston is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Dallas.
Dallas averages 100.8 points per game (ranked 15th). However, Boston has allowed an average of just 95.9 points per game (ranked fourth).
Dallas scores an average of 101.5 points per away game (ranked 12th). Boston ranks 16th in points allowed per home game with 99.3.
Dallas has a perfect 6-0 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. The Celtics do not fare well when they score under 100, earning a 1-3 record in such contests.
The Dallas Mavericks have a losing 1-4 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Boston Celtics are 5-1 when they hit the century mark.
The Mavericks have an offensive rating of 101.0 (ranked 17th), while the Celtics rank third for their defensive rating of 95.0.
The Dallas Mavericks average a field goal percentage of 43.3% this season. The Boston Celtics have a losing record of 1-3 when opponents have a FG% of 43.3% or greater.
On average, the Boston Celtics attempt 28.0 three point field goals per game and the Dallas Mavericks attempt 25.0 per game. In games where they attempt at least 25 threes, Boston has a 4-3 record and Dallas has a 3-2 record.
Boston has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.45 this season (ranked 16th). Dallas ranks higher with an A/TO of 1.68 (ranked fifth).
The Celtics rank 11th in rebounds per game with 45.3, while the Mavericks rank 10th with 45.7 per game.
Boston is ranked 23rd in defensive rebounds, while Dallas ranks 27th in offensive rebounds.
Dallas has forced an average turnover percentage of 14.3% this season. Boston is an even 4-4 when its TOV% is 14.3% or higher.
