Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, and our crew from the "Buckets" podcast came through with five bets for tonight's contest.
Check out the full episode of "Buckets" below, and continue reading for our top five NBA picks and predictions for Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics vs. Mavericks on Monday, June 17.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 8:30 p.m. | Mavericks +6.5 |
| 8:30 p.m. | Luka Dončić Over 32.5 Points |
| 8:30 p.m. | Dereck Lively II Over 8.5 Rebounds |
| 8:30 p.m. | Al Horford Under 6.5 Rebounds |
| 8:30 p.m. | Dante Exum Over 2.5 Points |
Mavericks +6.5
8:30 p.m. ET ⋅ ABC
I think this is the first game of the series that will be competitive into the final seconds.
I see a potential for a backdoor Dallas cover here, because the Celtics will be focused on winning the game, not the spread or winning by a certain amount. Dallas will have to knock down 3s tonight at a high clip to keep this one close and stay competitive throughout.
| | |  | |
Luka Dončić Over 32.5 Points
8:30 p.m. ET ⋅ ABC
Lets start with this. Luka Dončić has yet to clear 31 points in a game in this series.
I do believe he is a better scorer on the road than at home, though. Both of his two best scoring games in this series came in Boston and they were in losses. I think he leans more on his role players at home and takes far more scoring leadership on the road.
I don't think Dallas is going to roll over and give the Finals away and I expect Dončić to be at the front of that. He is coming off two of his worst shooting performances from behind the arc, going 1-for-15 in the last two games, so I expect some positive regression there.
| | | | |
Dereck Lively II Over 8.5 Rebounds at Celtics
8:30 p.m. ET ⋅ ABC
This one is all about opportunity and minutes.
Dereck Lively II had 12 rebounds in 22 minutes in Game 4 and was dominant on the glass. The rest of the Mavericks allow Lively to go up and chase those boards while clearing out the lane with good box-outs. We saw him get a bunch of easy offensive rebounds with Dončić missing bunnies around the rim.
We know he has had back-to-back double-doubles, so he just has to get the minutes and this should be a quick hit.
| | | | |
Al Horford Under 6.5 Rebounds
8:30 p.m. ET ⋅ ABC
Al Horford has been played off the floor in this series.
Like the rest of the starters, Horford only played 23 minutes in Game 4. He just hasn't had the same effect in this series as he had in the playoffs prior. If he isn't making 3s, he can't provide much value for Boston. He is older, slower and lacks the length to guard guys like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II.
I think those guys are playing him off the floor, so unless he is making shots from behind the arc, he isn't a great matchup against Dallas.
| | | | |
Dante Exum Over 2.5 Points
8:30 p.m. ET ⋅ ABC
By Matt Moore
I laugh at coaches who say they have to find ways to get someone in the game. All you have to do is tell him to stand up and go to the scorers table! This isn't come complex machinery with thousands of different operations.
I expect Dante Exum to play tonight and the Mavericks will need an extra ball-handler tonight if they get control of this game. They need people who can create shots and drive to the basket. I think 2.5 is absolutely wild.
| | | | |
