Brad Evans host of "The Fade Five" shares his Finals insights...

It all comes down to this — Celtics vs. Mavericks in the NBA Finals. For Monday’s Game 5 in Boston, Brad Evans attempts to slam dunk the sportsbooks on a SGP. Fade or follow — that’s up to you!

City organizers have planned the parade route. Light poles are fully greased to deter scalers. A beefed-up police force is standing by. The mayor has prepared her victory speech. And Kyrie Irving has an extra layer of security at the ready.

The Mavericks, who absolutely demolished Boston in Game 4 in Dallas, did the Celtics organization and its raucous fan base an enormous favor by extending the NBA Finals. With a victory in Monday’s Game 5 at TD Garden, the C’s will celebrate en masse at home. If that does occur, surely Bostonians — whose town has twice been named “The Drunkest City in America” by the Daily Beast — will party somewhat responsibly. You’re on notice, parked cars.

Hopefully raising a celebratory beverage or three alongside Beantown’s finest, this below-water bettor is praying the Game 5 SGP plays out profitably. Below is a breakdown of legs.

Celtics ML. An absurd amount of work sick days are about to be spent. With a decided +4.4 edge in postseason net rating, Boston is far and away the better team on paper. Obviously, the Celtics have proven that with the eye test as well. During this likely title run, the C’s are 7-2 straight-up at home. The Mavs are entirely capable of awakening an otherwise snoozy Finals, but somewhere on Cloud Nine, Bill Walton and Bill Russell crack giant smiles.

Jaylen Brown 1+ steal. Inside the Garden, Brown turns into a kleptomaniac. The Finals MVP favorite has stripped the leather at least one time in five straight home playoff contests. In Games 1 and 2 against Dallas, he totaled six steals. And with the Mavs giving up 6.7 steals per game this postseason (sixth-most of any playoff team), confidence in this leg only spikes.

Jayson Tatum 4+ assists. Similar to Luka Doncic, Tatum is a triple-double threat every time he takes the floor. He’s dished out at least four dimes in 12 of his last 13 postseason games, and he’s averaged 6.0 assists throughout the playoffs. Dallas has given up the sixth-fewest opponent assists per game (22.5) in the postseason. However, unless Boston completely dismantles the Mavericks early, Tatum should play enough minutes to top the needed number.

Luka Doncic 25+ points. The Slovenian sensation won’t go down without a fight. Yes, he’s logged considerable hours with a masseuse, but once the ball goes up, the stiff Doncic should put up points. He’s scored at least 25 in 11 straight playoff games. In the Finals, he’s averaged 29.5 points and shot 47.0% from the field. Yes, he’s a frigid 1-for-15 on three-pointers over the last two games, but chucking 25.0 field-goal attempts per game in the series, he should produce in a last-stand scenario.

Also check out Brad's 2024 Fantasy Football Position Rankings