- How public bettors are approaching Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
- Luka Doncic leads the ticket count to win NBA Finals MVP.
- Get the latest BetMGM insights for both individual game and futures odds.
Below, bettors can find NBA public betting trends for the NBA Finals as well as the Finals MVP award.
For clarity, the public side is defined as the spread, total, or moneyline, which receives a majority of tickets.
In an index market — NBA Finals MVP, for example — it’s the player with a plurality of tickets.
In terms of sharp betting indicators, bettors can determine the “sharp” side by looking for markets with a higher money percentage compared to their tickets.
With that established, let’s dive into the report based on NBA odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook.
NBA Public Betting — Celtics vs. Mavericks
Initial betting for Game 1 of the NBA Finals sees bettors siding with the Mavericks as underdogs to the Celtics.
Dallas opened at +6.5 for Game 1 in Boston and has received a whopping 76% of bets to cover the spread.
Additionally, bettors pounced on the plus money available with the visitors to win outright. As of June 3, Dallas (+200) has received 81% of all moneyline bets.
In terms of the total for Game 1, public bettors are targeting the over in spades.
The over/under opened at 213.5 points, with 87% of bets hitting the over.
NBA Sharp Betting — Celtics vs. Mavericks
In addition to receiving virtually all of the early bets, early money is hitting the Mavericks as well.
Dallas has accounted for 65% of the handle to cover Game 1’s spread. Oddly, their spread has held steady at +6.5.
Additionally, the Mavericks moneyline has accounted for 85% of the handle based on early betting, but has stayed at the opening number of +200.
Finally, bettors are supremely confident to put their money where their mouth is and back this game to clear the total.
A sizable 94% of the total handle has hit the over, which has already moved a point from 213.5 to 214.5 points.
When these sides met during the regular season, both games cleared that number.
NBA Public Betting — Game 1 First Quarter & First Half
Bettors are siding with the Mavericks to cover and win for the full game, but they prefer the Celtics early.
In terms of the first quarter, Boston is a 2.5-point favorite. As of June 5, they’ve received 57% of tickets compared to only 41% of dollars to cover the spread.
Oddly, the moneyline trends show tickets on the Mavericks but money on the C’s. Boston (-180) has received only 30% of tickets, but it comes against 65% of the handle.
Regarding the first-half markets, bettors believe in two different outcomes: a Celtics cover or a Dallas outright win.
The Celtics (-3.5 in the first half) have received 70% of tickets and 64% of the handle to cover the spread.
Meanwhile, Dallas has received 94% of bets and 97% of the handle to win the half outright.
Finally, it’s worth noting both the first quarter and first half over/under have risen sharply.
The first quarter total moved from 52.5 to 55.5 after receiving 76% of tickets and 72% of handle.
The first half over/under opened at 106.5 points, but has since moved to 110.5. Contributing to that move is the fact 79% of tickets and 97% of the money are on the over.
NBA Public Betting — NBA Finals MVP
Amongst players still on the board to win NBA Finals MVP, Dallas’ Luka Doncic leads both in terms of tickets and money.
Doncic opened at +1800 to win the award before the playoffs began and is down to +200. As of May 31, he’s attracted 12.7% of bets and 15.5% of the handle.
That ranks third and second, respectively, amongst all players available before the first round began.
On Boston’s side, swingman Jayson Tatum is an odds-on favorite (-125) to win the award. The Duke product has received only 8.2% of bets to win, but he’s notched 14.5% of the handle.
Three other players have received at least 5.0% of bets to win Finals MVP.
Kyrie Irving (+2000) accounts for 9.0% of bets and 6.8% of the handle to claim the award, while Boston’s Jaylen Brown (+600) has received 7.2% of bets and 7.0% of the handle.
Finally, Derrick White (+4000) has proven a popular longshot wager amongst bettors. White has received only 2.5% of the total handle compared to 5.3% of all bets.
NBA Public Betting — Correct Series Result
Bettors aren’t expecting this series to end quickly.
Of the eight markets available to bettors in the series result, Celtics 4-3 (+450) leads all markets with 26.5% of the total handle.
In terms of tickets, the popular selection is the Celtics in six games. As of June 4, that market has received 22.7% of all bets at +350.
On the Mavericks side, Dallas in six or seven (+400 and +600) combine to receive a plurality of bets. Those two markets have received 17.6% and 14.9% of bets, respectively.
Money-wise, Dallas in six accounts for 14.7% of the total handle. That’s 0.6% more than Dallas in five games, the second-most popular result in terms of handle amongst bettors.
A series sweep in favor of either team has received minimal support.
Boston 4-0 (+500) has received only 4.3% of bets and 5.2% of handle, while Dallas 4-0 (+2500) has garnered 7.8% of bets and 4.4% of handle.
NBA Odds at BetMGM
BetMGM is the premier best online sportsbook for NBA betting throughout the year.
From offseason NBA championship futures to spreads, parlays, and player props during the championship series, there are a variety of NBA Finals odds to pick from.
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