NBA Finals 2022: Why You Should Bet on Steph Curry Finals MVP and Celtics to Win the NBA Title

We are edging closer to Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics on Thursday night, and while much of attention will be on exactly what will happen in the series opener in San Francisco, for those of you who like a futures bet, trying to find an edge on the series winner in a two-horse race can be tough.

But with a little smart thinking, there is a way. Thankfully, Dimers' 2022 NBA Finals coverage is brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook.

New customers with FanDuel Sportsbook can place a $5 bet on the NBA Finals and get $200, regardless of whether you win or lose, no matter what! Click ➡️ here ⬅️ to claim yours.

To claim, new users simply need to register, make a first-time deposit of $10 or more, and place a $5 wager at FanDuel Sportsbook on any NBA Finals market!

For as far back as the All-Star break, it seemed like we were heading towards this exact matchup in the NBA Finals.

Steph Curry, who had steered the ship solo for much of the past couple of years since the departure of Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets, plus the two-year absence of the injured Klay Thompson, was finally getting his splash brother back, to plug into a lineup that had since matured with the emergence of Jordan Poole and the improved play of Andrew Wiggins to form an intimidating lineup along with Draymond Green that has since become known as the new Lineup of Death.

Despite the dominance of the Phoenix Suns during the regular season, it was always kind of known among NBA fans that if this Warriors team was at full strength, it would be very hard to topple them in the West.

On the Eastern side of the league, to the casual fan it might look like Boston have come from nowhere after a slow start to the season that saw them blow out to odds as large as +6600 with FanDuel Sportsbook to win this year's title in early February.

However, it was an insane run from the men in green that began around Christmas time that saw our DimersBOT NBA Futures model take notice, installing the Celts as third-favorite to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy on February 25, when you could get them at +3000 with some 'books. Our futures model thought it should have been more like +880.

Our model has the Celtics as the third best chance of winning the title this season, giving bettors a HUGE edge on the +3000 odds with @BetMGM 😳

More probabilities ⤵️
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— Dimers.com (@DimersCom) February 24, 2022

But now we're here and we head into Game 1 at the Chase Center in downtown San Francisco with the Golden State Warriors listed as the -160 favorite to win the title, compared to the underdog Celtics at +135 with FanDuel Sportsbook.

With so much of the analytics in favor of Boston, including DimersBOT who is still riding with the Celts at a 53.6% chance to win the series, smart bettors who want to take the value on Boston, but mitigate their risk, can still hedge their bets and turn a profit no matter which way the series goes.

You just have to think outside the box.

A $100 bet on the Celtics to hoist their 18th Championship banner would return a profit of $135, but what if they lost?

Well that would mean that the Warriors won (duh), but at -160, they don't present much value for bettors who are looking to hedge their Celtics tickets at any point during the series.

So, is it worth hedging on Steph Curry to win the Finals MVP instead? The short answer is YES.

PointsBet has Curry currently listed as the +105 favorite to win the Finals MVP trophy and fresh off claiming the Magic Johnson MVP Trophy for the best player in the Western Conference Finals, is poised for a big series, especially if Golden State win their fourth title of the Steve Kerr era.

While he may have three rings, a Finals MVP has thus far eluded Curry; first due to a somewhat exaggerated performance of Andre Iguodala "stopping" LeBron James in the 2015 Finals (LeBron still finished that series with averages of 35-13-9), and then Kevin Durant, who swooped in to collect back-to-back MVPs in 2017 and 2018. 

With the next best Golden State player in Klay Thompson listed at +1200 to win the Bill Russell Finals MVP Award, make no mistake, this time if the Dubs walk away with the title, the narrative makers will right the wrong of Curry never winning a Finals MVP.

When it comes to betting, it always pays to be smart. When it comes to the 2022 NBA Finals, there are definitely angles to play that ensure you come away with profit, no matter what. 

🏀 Projected Celtics vs. Warriors Game 1 box score
✍️ Betting Preview: Celtics vs. Warriors Game 1

MORE: NBA Finals Game 1 Player Props

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NBA Finals Sportsbook Bonus Codes

Whether you're looking to place a bet on today's game or a futures bet on the NBA title, FanDuel Sportsbook is the place to do it.

New customers with  FanDuel Sportsbook can place a $5 bet on the NBA and win $200, regardless if the play wins or not. Click ➡️ here ⬅️ to claim yours.

To claim, new users just need to register, make a first-time deposit, and then simply place their first real-money wager on FanDuel Sportsbook on any NBA Finals market!

New customers with BetMGM Sportsbook can claim $200 in free bets from any NBA Finals game. All you need to do is place a $10 moneyline bet on any of the games and you'll score $200 if either team hits a three-pointer. Regardless of the outcome of your bet, you win either way.

Similarly to the BetMGM offer up above, new DraftKings Sportsbook customers can place a $5 on the NBA Playoffs and score $150 in free bets straight up, regardless of whether your bet actually wins or not.

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