Last Updated on May 20, 2024 9:46 am by Erwin Noguera

The 2024 NBA Conference Finals are scheduled to begin May 21 in the East and May 22 in the West. The final four teams competing are the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, and Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The Boston Celtics finished the regular season with the best record in the NBA and have continued their strong play in the playoffs, defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-1 in the semifinals. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have one of the most talented starting quintets in the league. 

In the other Eastern Conference semifinal, the Indiana Pacers defeated the New York Knicks in a grueling 7-game series. Despite having the lower seed, the Pacers have shown they can handle anyone, led by Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner. This Celtics vs. Pacers matchup should feature stellar defense and exciting young talent.

Out west, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, one of this season’s top contenders, 4-2 in their semifinal series. With Doncic playing at MVP level, the Mavs have become a serious title contender. They will face the surprising Minnesota Timberwolves, who dramatically defeated the favored Denver Nuggets in seven games. Anthony Edwards and Rudy Gobert have fueled the Wolves’ streak, but Dallas will be their toughest test so far. 

The 2024 Conference Finals have the makings of an instant classic playoff round. Both series feature exciting matchups between the league’s best-emerging teams. Whichever team emerges victorious will be battle-tested heading into the NBA Finals.

NBA Estern Conference Finals: Celtics vs. Pacers

When and Where?

From Tuesday, May 21, to Sunday, June 2 (game 7), at the TD Garden and Gainbridge Fieldhouse

Moneyline odds: 

Celtics 1.126 

Pacers 5.85

Where can I watch it?

NBA League Pass

The Eastern Conference Finals feature a showdown between the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. This promises to be an exciting series between two of the best teams in the East starting this Tuesday at TD Garden.

The Celtics come into the series after finishing the regular season with the best record in the East at 64-18. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston has one of the most dynamic duos in the league. In addition, their defense has also been stifling, ranking first in defensive rating during the regular season. 

Meanwhile, the Pacers also put together a very good regular season, with a 47-35 record, but they finished 17.0 games behind the Celtics in the standings. Indiana is led by Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, who helped transform the Pacers into an elite defensive team that ranked third in defensive rating.

With both teams excelling on defense all season long, points may be hard to come by in this series. The key matchup will be how Turner, Indiana’s big man, handles Boston’s small forward duo of Tatum and Brown. This has all the makings of a gritty, low-scoring series between two of the best defensive teams in the NBA.

Boston comes from annihilating the Cavs in the previous round of the playoffs with an excellent score of 4-1. On the other hand, the Pacers fought until the end to beat the NY Knicks in seven games with an overall score of 4-3.

For this game, our prediction is a win for the Celtics.

Celtics vs. Pacers Betting Pick: Celtics

NBA Western Conference Finals: Timberwolves vs. Mavericks

When and Where?

From Wednesday, May 22, to Monday, June 3 (game 7), at the Target Center and American Airlines Center

Moneyline odds: 

Timberwolves 1.53 

Mavericks 2.46

Where can I watch it?

NBA League Pass

On the other hand, the Western Conference Finals feature a showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, which will kick off this Wednesday at the Target Center.

During the regular season, the Mavericks finished with a 50-32 record to earn the fifth seed in the West. The Timberwolves, meanwhile, were third in the West standings, just 1.0 game behind first place and an excellent 56-26 record. 

The Mavericks are led by Luka Doncic, who averaged 27.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 9.1 assists per game. He emerges again as an MVP candidate this season. The Mavs also benefited from the addition of veteran Kyrie Irving, who averaged 21.1 points per game.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are powered by Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. Towns averaged 18.4 points and 9.0 rebounds, while Edwards scored 30.2 points per game. The Wolves made a big jump this season behind their young core.

Both teams impressed during the regular season but will now battle to represent the West in the NBA Finals. The Timberwolves dominated the series this season 3-1 and will look to replicate that dominance in these conference finals.

For this series opener, our winner’s tab goes to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Timberwolves vs. Mavericks Betting Pick: Timberwolves

The post 2024 NBA Conference Finals Preview first appeared on Gambyl Sports Betting Exchange.