Look, I’m not going to trick you here. I, like anyone else, have no idea what’s going to happen in tonight’s Game 5. And even if I did, I probably wouldn’t have made as many wrong predictions about the NBA Finals as I have.
Don't get me wrong, I expected the Boston Celtics to win the series. They still seem poised to win. But I didn't expect them to take a 3-0 lead and come so close to a sweep. At that point, it seemed more likely they would finish off the sweep. I was wrong, too.
Well, I submit. I don't care if I'm right or not. I'm betting unashamedly on the Mavericks tonight. I don't care what strategy they employ or how their performance in Game 4 holds up. I don't care if my original prediction that the Celtics would win in six games was correct. I don't care.
I would pick Dallas just for the drama, and you should too.
Bettors at BetMGM appear to be taking the same approach, with 58% of tickets and 59% of handles being bet on Dallas. But the odds on the Mavs winning are low: Boston is a 6.5-point favorite at home and has only lost six games at home this season. But what if the Mavs win on Monday and force a Game 6 in Dallas?
Suddenly, the Celtics are the team playing with immense pressure to not allow this series to go to seven games and risk becoming the first team to lose a 3-0 lead. And that's the storyline I'm rooting for right now, because, to be honest, this series has been disappointing so far.
I expected more from Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Dallas overall. I didn't expect the Mavericks to win, but I expected to see what we saw in Game 4 play out sooner. This series will not be a satisfying one if it ends in five games.
If Dallas plays another strong game and Boston is in it, I'll be happy, so root for the Mavericks tonight and hope for a more entertaining series.
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