Boston Celtics at Dallas Mavericks Betting Odds

It seems like it’s been a lot longer than just 2 years since Boston and Dallas met in the NBA Finals. Both clubs have changed dramatically in the short time since then with Dallas falling off a cliff that even 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick Cooper Flagg can’t prevent. Despite a sub-par record Dallas is in the hunt for a play-in spot.

With their roster overhaul and missing Jayson Tatum, the Celtics weren’t expected to do much in the East. But like championship clubs do, the Celtics are in a top 6 spot in the East by winning 29 of their first 47 games.

Celtics at Mavericks Preview

The first of 2 meetings this season between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks tips off at 8 p.m. ET inside American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The game is part of a NBA doubleheader on NBC.

Public Betting Odds Factors

More than halfway through the regular season the Celtics are in position to earn a top 4 playoff seed in the East. Being consistent has helped them maintain a pace that at the time of this writing has them tied with New York for the second best record in the East.
Since opening the season with 3 losses, the Celtics have not dropped more than 2 straight games. A 117-106 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday was their second in 3 outings, though. They also failed to cover the 5-point NBA spread for their fourth straight ATS setback.
The Celtics won their 15th road game of the season last week in Brooklyn giving them the second-most away triumphs among teams in the East. And the C’s are a profitable road team with a cover ratio of 60 percent.
There is talk of Jayson Tatum returning from his Achilles injury later in the season, but that’s still a ways off and not a certainty. In the meantime his running mate Jaylen Brown has taken over the duties. Brown played in 44 of the team's first 47 games averaging 29.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists, which would all be season career bests.
Trading Luka Doncic wasn’t the best move and it looks even worse when the centerpiece of the return spends more time off the court. Anthony Davis has a lengthy injury history and he’s played just 29 games in a Mavs uniform. He injured his hand on Jan. 8 and is expected to be out for up to 8 weeks. The Mavs are 5-4 in the last 9 games with AD on the shelf.
The roster is thin with Davis out, Kyrie Irving still recovering from ACL surgery and Klay Thompson getting more time off. Add to that a recent ankle injury sustained by Cooper Flagg and the Mavs are a mess. Flagg has been as advertised, though, averaging 18.8 points and 6.4 boards.

Celtics at Mavericks Predictions

The Celtics have played inspired basketball getting contributions from the entire roster in what most considered a rebuilding year. The players change but the defensive intensity remains. Boston allows the third-fewest points in the NBA with opponents shooting less than 45 percent from the field. They cashed the UNDER in 3 straight and 8 of 10.
We’re likely to see Flagg in this game giving the Mavs some punch offensively. But scoring has been a season-long issue with the team in the bottom third in scoring offense and 3-point percentage. That sets up well for backing the UNDER.

Celtics at Mavericks Betting Tips

Boston is one of the better road teams in the NBA and the Mavs are just a game over .500 in their barn. Dallas has covered in more than 55 percent of their home tilts, though.
The Celtics lost to Atlanta and Chicago as the favorite on the NBA spread, part of their 4-game ATS slide. Still the Celtics are 25-22 overall ATS.
Fueled by an offense that averaged more than 129 points, the Mavs put a 4-game SU and ATS winning streak together. The points dwindled and the Mavs lost 2 straight scoring a total of 215 points.
The Mavs cashed the UNDER in 2 straight games and in 9 of their last 13 contests.

Celtics at Mavericks Head to Head and Key Stats

A lot of names have changed since Boston won its record 18th NBA title beating the Mavs in 5 games in 2024. That was part of a stretch that saw the Celtics win 9 of 10 games.

Dallas got some revenge winning the most recent matchup 127-120 as a 12-point underdog last Feb. when Klay Thompson led 3 players tallying at least 20 points with 25.

Boston is 8-2-1 against the NBA spread in the last 11 meetings