The Dallas Mavericks host the Boston Celtics for an interconference battle on TNT! It's time to continue our NBA odds series with a Celtics-Mavericks prediction and pick.

If there is one thing the Celtics have been known for over their entire existence as a franchise, it's hustle and effort. I think many would agree with me that saying their last game might be one of the worst losses in the history of the team. Allowing 150 points in a non-overtime game is not only bad but to do it against a below-average team without their best player makes it 10 times worse. The Celtics lost 150-117 and have fallen to (26-12) on the season.

The Mavericks are enjoying a seven-game win streak as their record has improved to (22-16). In mid-December, the Mavs were below .500 with a (15-16) record and many were questioning their ability to make it back to the playoffs. All that slander ended quickly as Luka Doncic has been on a tear, putting himself at the top of the MVP latter. He will battle it out against another MVP candidate in Jayson Tatum which should be a classic.

Here are the Celtics-Mavericks NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel

NBA Odds: Celtics-Mavericks Odds

Boston Celtics: -3 (-108)

Dallas Mavericks: +3 (-112)

Over: 231.5 (-110)

Under: 231.5 (-110)

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Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread

Back in late November right around Thanksgiving, the Celtics dominated the Mavericks 125-112. The game was never close even though Luka tried to come back and did make it interesting. Tatum scored 37 while Doncic scored 42. Those two will certainly be going at it once again tonight. The Celtics need to find a way to slow him down. That is obviously easier said than done but it worked in the first half of their last matchup, resulting in them scorching out to a huge lead. The Mavs, however, are a much better team than they were in November.

As for the offensive side for Boston, that hasn't been the problem this season. They still lead the NBA in scoring at 118.6 points per game. The duo of Tatum and Jaylen Brown is hard to stop as they can kill you in many different ways. Tatum is averaging 30.8 points and Brown isn't far behind at 27.2. They are the highest-scoring duo in the NBA and once this team figures it out on defense then they will get back to their winning ways.

Why The Mavericks Could Cover The Spread

The Mavericks have a few guys banged up and are out tonight. Josh Green and Dorian Finney-Smith join Maxi Kleber as players who will be out for a while. Those three have been huge for this team as they are 5th-7th in minutes played on the roster. Finney Smith has started 31 games this season and Green has been huge off the bench. Reggie Bullock and Jaden Hardy will step up and help the core-4 for the Mavs.

Luka averages 34.3 points per game which is the highest in the NBA. Christian Wood is second on the team averaging 17.8 and Spencer Dinwiddie is 3rd at 16.1. Expect those three to be a huge part of this game as they were the last time these two teams met. In their last game against the Rockets, Luka scored 39, and Wood and Tim Hardaway finished with 21 each.

Final Celtics-Mavericks Prediction & Pick

I don't expect this game to be a blowout like the last time they played. The Mavs are much improved and should cover this 3-point spread at home, where they are much better (15-5).

Final Celtics-Mavericks Prediction & Pick: Mavericks +3 (-112)

How To Watch Celtics vs. Mavericks

TV: TNT

Stream: TNT App

Time: 7:30 ET/4:30 PT