Celtics vs Warriors Prediction, Selection, Odds, Spread, Line for Game 1 of NBA Finals 2022

Sometimes we come to the end and can’t help but feel kind of betrayed. After a rigorous 82-game schedule and a grueling postseason, it occasionally seems that we end up in the NBA Finals with the wrong teams, whether it’s due to injuries, an unlikely buzzer-beater, a bad function, or just plain dumb luck.

That’s not the case this year, however, as the Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors meet in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday in a battle between the top two teams of the postseason. Of course, as every year, there were injuries along the way, and we can talk about the Phoenix Suns’ Game 7 conference semifinal collapse as a potential “yes, but what if” blunder on the Warriors’ road back to the Finals . But it’s hard to argue that Boston — the league’s top team since late January — and the healthy-star Warriors somehow didn’t deserve their place in the Finals.

The matchup itself is a juicy one, with the Celtics having the best defense of the regular season and second best of the playoffs as the well-known Warriors faces of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green led the best offense of the postseason. The series is on paper jam-packed with intriguing matchups and in a way symbolizes an old-versus-new battle for dominance in the league.

The Warriors will compete as tried-and-true Bluebloods, making their sixth Finals appearance in eight seasons with three titles to their name. The Celtics, on the other hand, have reached the Finals for the first time since 2010, led by two stars in their mid-20s – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown – along with a freshman head coach in Ime Udoka.

All of this makes the series extremely difficult to predict, but most agree it should be a long and exciting one. Before we jump ahead though, we need to start with Game 1. Our NBA experts at CBS Sports have set out to predict not only who will win the first game of the 2022 NBA Finals, but the exact bottom line – how’s that for bold? Read the predictions below, along with viewing info for Thursday’s opener of the NBA Finals.

How to watch game 1 live

Game: NBA Finals Game 1
date: Thursday 2 June | time: 9 p.m. ET
location: Chase Center—San Francisco, California
TV: ABC | Live broadcast: fuboTV (Access now)
Opportunities: BOS +145; GS-170; O/U 212.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)

Celtics vs. Warriors Prediction, Game 1 Picks

Brad Botkins: There’s a lot of talk about rest here. Boston is rested enough. It hasn’t been played since Sunday. I picked the Celtics to win the series and part of that logic comes from the early lead. Golden State’s offense is out of character and takes some getting used to? The same goes for Boston’s defense. I like Boston’s individual shot creation better than Golden State’s, and that goes for the series as a whole and for each individual game. Selection: Celtics +3.5 | Celtics 108, Warriors 101

James Herbert: My brain is telling me this is going to be a low scoring emotive play as these are the top two defenses in the NBA. My brain also tells me that the Warriors will win comfortably since they almost always start well in series that the Celtics are just a wonderful buzzer-beater away from being 0-3 in openers in these playoffs and the Golden’s offense State is a shock to the system. But I don’t trust my brain when it comes to predicting the outcome of a single basketball game. These teams are evenly matched, so maybe the Warriors will get sloppy and Boston’s offense will get going. let’s go crazy Selection: Celtics +3.5 | Celtics 123, Warriors 115

Michael Kaskey-Blomain: Heading into Game 1, the Warriors will be the more rested team, and they’re certainly the more experienced team, meaning the moment is less likely to come their way and affect their game. Additionally, Golden State’s offense has clicked throughout the postseason, while Boston’s has been inconsistent at times. Add in the potential return of defensive tackle Gary Payton II and the Warriors should be able to take care of business in the first game of the series. Selection: Warriors -3.5 I Warriors 113, Celtics 101

Jack Maloney: I picked the Celtics to win the series but they only won one Game 1 during that run and that was on a buzzer beater. The Warriors, on the other hand, are a remarkable 21-2 in Game 1 in the Steve Kerr era. Factor in the Warriors’ extended hiatus and home advantage, and they should win this game. Selection: Warriors -3.5 I Warriors 111, Celtics 104

Sam Quinn: The Warriors are 4-1 under Steve Kerr in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, only losing to Toronto in 2019 due to Kevin Durant’s absence. Their style differs so drastically from all other teams that it usually takes opponents a game or two to adjust, and even if they didn’t, the Warriors have a three-day rest advantage and a healthier core roster. Boston will make this a competitive series and maybe win the whole thing, but Golden State should be heavily favored in Game 1. Choice: Warrior -3.5 | Warriors 109, Celtics 102

Colin Ward-Henninger: We can talk about how both teams have fared so far in Game 1 during the playoffs, but as Warriors coach Steve Kerr keeps saying about the postseason, “Every series is different. Every game is different.” That being said, we have to use some kind of criteria to make an educated guess, so let’s go with the fact that Golden State — a team whose stars predate the Celtics’ — has the advantage of almost a week has rest while the Celtics are three days away from completing an emotional Game 7 that follows one of the most physically demanding and taxing streaks we’ve seen since the early 2000s. With the Warriors, you only have to slip on either end for a split second to make you pay, and Boston seem more likely to do so after the streak they just finished. Choice: Warrior -3.5 | Warriors 106, Celtics 98

Jasmine Wimbish: The Warriors will come out and try to make their mark in Game 1. They have home field advantage in an atmosphere where it’s annoying to play and while I don’t think it’s going to be easy, I’m going to go 1-0 up with Golden State. Choice: Warrior -3.5 | Warriors 110, Celtics 105