Here we are! It’s been a long road to get to this point, but we’re finally down to the final two teams. These are the clubs that many people expected to see a few weeks back, but it’s been a long road to get to this point. Boston had to battle seven games against the Miami Heat to get to this point, while Golden State took care of business against Dallas in just five games. That means the Warriors haven’t played since May 26. It’s been a week since they played, and that’s tougher than most people think. As someone who plays basketball regularly, having a week off is more challenging than a few days because this is a rhythm sport. I’m no professional athlete, but I genuinely believe this to be the case! With that in mind, let’s get into this Game 1!

Schedule and Odds

BOS at GSW (GSW -4) O/U: 211.5
This is Game 1 of what could be a long series. These two clubs split their season series, with the road team winning both matchups. With that said, the Celtics have won six of their last seven games in this series.

Check out our consensus game odds as well as the odds from each sportsbook at BettingPros

Injury Report

• James Wiseman (knee) Questionable
• Gary Payton (shoulder) Questionable
• Otto Porter (foot) Questionable

Core Plays

Jayson Tatum (SF/PF – BOS): $10,600 DraftKings, $16,000 FanDuel
Tatum has been on the brink of superstardom for some time now, but it feels like he’s finally there. His playmaking ability is what’s really taken his game to another level, averaging 27.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists over his last four games. That has led to JT scoring at least 51 DK points in eight of his previous 11 games. He’s also scored at least 43 fantasy points in 10 of those, and he’s simply the safest option on the board. He’s walloped the Warriors recently, too, scoring at least 49 DK points in each of their last three meetings.

Cash Game Considerations

Stephen Curry (PG/SG – GSW): $10,200 DraftKings, $15,500 FanDuel
The first thing you need to do is put Tatum in your lineup and then Curry. These two need to be locked in every lineup because they will carry their clubs in this series. Chef Curry has been doing that for weeks, scoring at least 38 DraftKings points in 14 of his last 15 games. He’s also flirting with a 50-point average in that span, seeing an increase in nearly every usage metric. Curry has also crushed the Celtics over the last two years, averaging 38.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.

GPP Targets

Robert Williams (PF/C – BOS): $6,200 DraftKings, $9,500 FanDuel
Rob-Will will be tough to trust with his workload, but he’s also one of the best GPP players out there. The big man had a breakout year this season, averaging 30 DraftKings points per game. He’s simply one of the best per-minute producers around, and he could go nuts if he plays 30 minutes. We love that he had a small break between these two series because that gave him some extra time to get healthy. If he plays that much and provides his usual 1.3 DK points per minute, Rob-Will would be a lock in every optimal lineup.

Otto Porter (SF/PF – GSW): $4,000 DraftKings, $7,500 FanDuel
Porter has been practicing this week, and it looks like he’s ready to return to the rotation. This guy has been a stud when he’s healthy, averaging 20 DK points per game across 21 minutes a night in the regular season. Porter has actually scored at least 19 DK points in the six games before getting injured, posting a 25-point average in that span. That alone would be huge from such a cheap player, and he posted even better averages in the two series before getting injured.

Value Plays

Al Horford (PF/C – BKN): $7,600 DraftKings, $12,500 FanDuel
Many people look at Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the best players for Boston, but Big Al might be their most valuable player. Horford has at least 29 DK points in 11 of his last 13 games, providing a 37-point average in that span. He’s done that damage with limited scoring, stuffing the stat sheet at ease. The center position is one spot you can exploit the Warriors, too, with Al scoring at least 41 fantasy points in four of his last six matchups with Golden State.

Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $7,400 DraftKings, $10,000 FanDuel
Boston sends out an big lineup with Williams and Horford, so Looney should continue dominating the paint. The big man has at least 26 DraftKings points in five of his last six games, generating a 31-point average in that span. That’s one of the best stretches of his career, and we love the fact that he’s playing nearly 30 minutes a night. He averaged almost 35 fantasy points per game when playing 29 or more minutes in the regular season, and if he does that, Loon will be one of the best values on the board!

Advantageous Pricing

• Kevon Looney (C – GSW): $10,000 FanDuel
• Otto Porter (SF/PF – GSW): $4,000 DraftKings
• Al Horford (PF/C – BKN): $7,600 DraftKings
• Andrew Wiggins (SG/SF – GSW): $7,200 DraftKings
• Klay Thompson (SG/SF – GSW): $11,500 FanDuel

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RadioPublic | Breaker | Castbox | Pocket Casts