NBA Finals Game 3 Odds: Mavericks Open as 1.5-Point Favorites Over Celtics

There’s an old saying that a series doesn’t start until the home team loses a game.

The Dallas Mavericks certainly hope that’s true after falling into a 2-0 series hole following the Boston Celtics’ 105-98 Game 2 win.

It’s hardly shocking the Mavericks couldn’t pull off the upset. Over the past 50 years, the 1992 Bulls are the only team to win Game 2 of the NBA Finals as an underdog of five or more points after losing Game 1 by at least 15 points. Those teams are now 1-8 straight up.

The series now shifts to Dallas, where the Mavericks are 5-3 in the postseason. On the flip side, the Celtics are a perfect 6-0 on the road this playoffs, winning by an average of 10 points.

Nonetheless, the Mavericks opened as 1.5-point favorites in what’s virtually a must-win game. There have been 156 playoff series in which a team has fallen into a 3-0 hole, and not a single one of them rallied to win it. In fact, only four were even able to force a Game 7.

Tipoff for the pivotal Game 3 is set for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Evan Abrams contributed research for this article.