With Kyrie Irving sidelined by eye inflammation, the Boston Celtics (22-15) prepare to host the Dallas Mavericks (18-19) on Friday as opening 5-point home favorites on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The Boston point guard scratched both eyes in Monday's 120-111 road loss to the San Antonio Spurs and will sit out on Friday night.
Irving also missed the team's 115-102 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, but Gordon Hayward picked up the slack with a season-high 35 points after going scoreless for the first time in over six years versus the Spurs.
Hayward made 14-of-18 shots from the field, including 4-of-7 from three-point range in the win while playing 32 minutes off the bench. He had missed all six shots he attempted in 22 minutes at San Antonio.
The Celtics improved to 4-2 both straight up and against the spread in their last six games after covering as 6.5-point home favorites at sports betting sites in the win over the Timberwolves, which followed a three-game losing streak. They are 2-1 SU and ATS without Irving this season, winning their last two without him on the court.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks have covered the spread in six of their last seven games, according to the OddsShark NBA Database, despite winning only three of them SU. They routed the Charlotte Hornets 122-84 as 1.5-point underdogs on Wednesday, ending a nine-game road losing streak that also saw them go 3-6 ATS.
Dallas made 18-of-45 shots from three-point range and was led by rookie forward Luka Doncic and second-year point guard Dennis Smith Jr., who each scored 18 points.
Boston has won four of the past five meetings in the series SU but lost the last one 113-104 as a 2.5-point road favorite at the American Airlines Center on November 24. The Mavericks were without Smith in that game but saw reserve point guard J.J. Barea score 20 points in 26 minutes off the bench.
Boston Celtics
Find the latest Boston Celtics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Harrison Barnes also scored 20 points and Doncic added 15 while Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 21. Irving struggled with his shooting in that meeting as well, making 9-of-24 attempts and missing on all five of his three-pointers to finish with 19 points.