Celtics vs Warriors odds, picks and bets: Expert predictions for NBA Finals Game 5

The Golden State Warriors reclaimed home court advantage with a hard-fought win over the Boston Celtics in Game 4. And the series returns to San Francisco on Monday night for what is now a best-of-3 series, tied at two games apiece. The Warriors are favored by 3.5 points at home and the over/under is set at 211.5

Stephen Curry scored a series-high 43 points on Friday and Golden State coach Steve Kerr kept a struggling Draymond Green off the court for a chunk of the fourth quarter. Boston was led by Jayson Tatum’s 23 points. Can the Celtics steal another game on the West Coast, like they did in Game 2? Or will the Warriors take advantage of a loud home crowd?

What time is Warriors vs. Celtics Game 5?

Time: Monday, 9 p.m. (ET)

Channel: ABC (streaming on the ESPN app)

During the NBA playoffs, The Athletic’s writers will make their straight-up picks. You’ll find picks, coverage and the latest odds here. Our in-depth NBA coverage is linked below the picks. For live NBA odds from BetMGM, click here.

NBA Finals schedule

Game 1: Celtics 120, Warriors 108

Game 2: Warriors 107, Celtics 88

Game 3: Celtics 116, Warriors 100

Game 4: Warriors 107, Celtics 97 | Series tied 2-2

Game 5: Celtics at Warriors | Monday, June 13 | 9 p.m. ET

Game 6*: Warriors at Celtics | Thursday, June 16 | 9 p.m. ET

Game 7*: Celtics at Warriors | Sunday, June 19 | 8 p.m. ET

What are the odds for Warriors vs. Celtics Game 5?

Series odds: Warriors -150, Celtics +125

Warriors vs. Celtics Game 5 preview

Our Jared Weiss wondered about it Friday in the final seconds of the Warriors’ dogged Game 4 victory at Boston’s belligerent home arena, a win that set this series even and sent it back to San Francisco. With three games remaining in these NBA Finals, in a race to two wins, are we now watching the Celtics vs. Stephen Curry?

Before we get too far ahead: Yes, there are other Warriors on the court. Klay Thompson stepped up in the second half and Andrew Wiggins hit a key 3. And Draymond Green, after a brief benching, roared back into the game. And sure, the Celtics can’t simply triple-team Curry on every possession and ignore the rest. Boston’s seven-deep rotation is probably a more balanced counter than what the Warriors bring. And even when the Celtics’ offense turns stale, we know they can bring it back just as quickly.

But Curry’s series-high 43 points, on the road, on a hobbled foot, facing quickly fading Finals odds, was some kind of primary bullet point behind his Bay Area legend. And he did it against the best defense in the NBA playing its best defense of the series.

“The heart on that man is incredible,” Thompson said.

There’s no simple game plan that Boston coach Ime Udoka can conjure to counter Curry’s game. The Celtics held Golden State to four points below its season scoring average. And, in fact, the Warriors haven’t yet topped their season scoring average of 111 in this series. No joke, Boston can defend.

And still, Curry wiggled loose. It seems as if the Celtics’ best chance is to do what they do: Muscle up, defend hard, play tough. And hope for the best. They are good enough to win a NBA record 18th title.

But are they good enough to be better than the Warriors’ best player? This series is now in Curry’s hands, as it was in 2015, when he led them past LeBron James and the Cavaliers in six games, and in 2016, when his effort wasn’t enough to overcome James in a seven-game Finals rematch. But remember, after the Warriors lost to the Cavs that year, Curry was still named the series MVP.

With respect to a talented Golden State team, this series is now Celtics vs. Curry.

Warriors vs. Celtics expert picks and predictions for Game 5

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(Photo of Stephen Curry and Jayson Tatum: Elsa / Pool Photo via AP)