The Boston Celtics (31-14) travel to face off against the Dallas Mavericks (24-21) on Saturday, January 25th. This game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas and televised on ABC. The Mavericks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Celtics are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Celtics. Tip-off is set for 5:30 ET.

Celtics vs Mavericks

The Celtics Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Celtics fell to 31-14 on the season after a 117-96 road loss to the Lakers on Thursday. Boston, who entered the game as 6.5-point favorites, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The combined score of 213 points was slightly below the pre-game total of 219.

Boston struggled early, trailing 34-23 after the 1st quarter and 67-48 at halftime. They held the Lakers to 16 points in the 3rd quarter, but couldn’t capitalize offensively, scoring just 20 points themselves. The Celtics entered the 4th quarter down 83-68 and were outscored 34-28 in the final period.

The Mavericks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Mavericks improved to 24-21 on the season with a 121-115 win over the Thunder on Thursday. Dallas was +6 point underdogs heading into the game and not only won but also covered the spread. The total points for the game ended at 236, going over the pre-game line of 224.5.

A key moment in the game was an 11-0 run by the Mavericks, which extended their lead from 62-57 to 73-57. They took control in the 3rd quarter, outscoring the Thunder 31-21, and held on in the 4th quarter despite being outscored 32-30.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

In Thursday’s loss to the Lakers, the Celtics managed just 96 points, shooting 38.5% from the field. Their three-point shooting was also below average, hitting 34.1% with 14 made threes.

Kristaps Porzingis led Boston with 22 points, including 11 in the 1st quarter. Jaylen Brown added 17 points, while Jayson Tatum contributed 16, scoring 8 in the 3rd quarter.

Mavericks Offense Breakdown

Spencer Dinwiddie led the Mavericks to a win over the Thunder, scoring 28 points on 78.6% shooting, including 3 made threes at 50%. Kyrie Irving added 24 points, hitting 4 threes at 50%, while P.J. Washington contributed 22 points and 19 rebounds, despite shooting just 37.5%.

Dallas shot 52.7% from the field and 45.2% from three, making 14 threes in the game. Dinwiddie scored 10 points in the 1st quarter and added 9 more in the 4th, while Irving put up 10 points in the 3rd quarter.

Celtics Team Defense

Defensively, the Celtics struggled in the 1st and 4th quarters, giving up 34 points in each, and allowed 117 points overall in their loss to the Lakers. However, they tightened up in the 3rd, holding Los Angeles to just 16 points. The Lakers shot 47% from the field.

Boston allowed 15 three-pointers on 42% shooting from deep. The Lakers also went 18/20 from the free-throw line. The Celtics recorded 31 defensive rebounds, while giving up 10 offensive boards, and added 5 steals and 6 blocks.

Mavericks Team Defense

The Celtics struggled defensively in the 1st and 4th quarters, giving up 34 points in each, leading to a 117-96 loss to the Lakers. They did manage to tighten things up in the 3rd, allowing just 16 points. Overall, Boston allowed Los Angeles to shoot 47% from the field.

Boston gave up 15 threes at a 42% clip and sent the Lakers to the line 20 times, where they hit 18 free throws. The Celtics recorded 31 defensive rebounds, allowing 10 offensive boards, and added 5 steals and 6 blocks.

Celtics vs Mavericks Trends

• Across the Celtics last five road games, the team averaged 110 points per game while allowing 106. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 3-2 straight-up.
• In their last ten games at home, the Mavericks have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 3-7 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 111 points per game in these contests.
• As the betting underdog, the Mavericks have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 2-1.
• Through their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Celtics have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 2-3.

Celtics vs Mavericks Prediction

The Celtics is our selection to secure the victory, with a projected score of 138-97. We also like them to cover the spread, so we suggest betting on the Celtics at -8.

Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 222.5, and our model predicts the Celtics and Mavericks to score a combined 235 points. We recommend betting on the over.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.