There is this thing called a safe bet, but sports bettors are taking the other route. Early NBA betting turnout suggests players would instead choose the one with the lower chances of winning.
Or maybe they just don't believe that much in the Celtics.
Boston has fallen short in its title quest in the past seasons despite having a great record or a powerhouse lineup.
Many sports bettors are banking on that to happen again, at least according to a report by BetMGM Sportsbook.
Senior trader Halvor Egeland said bettors are picking the Mavericks to finish their incredible run with an NBA trophy. Around 63 percent prefer the Mavericks against the Celtics, who are currently -6.5 for the opener happening on Thursday.
Although that is the trend, Egeland clarified that betting lines will not be affected significantly.
"We feel it's the correct betting line," he said. "If we were trading strictly off money, we would've moved it towards the Mavericks because it's all Mavericks money. But we're trying to get to a point where we're at like an equilibrium - half the time (betting is) going to be on one side, half the time it's going to go on the other."
Celtics are overwhelming favorites
It is not just BetMGM that has Boston as the overwhelming favorite in the series.
SportsLine's computer sees the Celts as the winners, not just in Game 1.
The betting information website puts the odds at:
Celtics vs. Mavericks spread: Boston -6.5
Celtics vs. Mavericks over/under: 214.5 points
Celtics vs. Mavericks money line: Boston -250, Dallas +204
DraftKings Sportsbook puts the Celtics' series odds at -210 while the Mavs' are at +175.
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