The streaking Boston Celtics host the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday in a cross-conference matchup of teams that are in second place in their divisions. Both teams hold the fifth spot in their conference standings, and Boston (41-27) comes in on a run of five straight victories. Dallas (41-26) has won six of its last seven and came out on top in the only meeting this season. That was a 107-104 victory back in November, well before the Celtics caught fire just before the new year.  

Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston. Caesars Sportsbook lists Boston as a 7.5-point favorite in its latest Mavericks vs. Celtics odds, and the Over-Under for total points is set at 212.5. (Check out our NBA odds page for up-to-date odds on every game available). 

Before you lock in any Celtics vs. Mavericks picks, you HAVE TO check out the NBA predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model enters Week 20 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 74-47 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning more than $2,100. Anyone following it has seen HUGE returns.

The Celtics beat the Kings on New Year's Eve and are 24-8 since that win. They have been doing it mostly with defense, as they lead the NBA in opponent shooting percentage (43.1) and are second against the three-pointer (33.6). Dallas also has an excellent defense, but it is weak on offense. Boston scores almost three points more per game, with Jayson Tatum (26.8) and Jaylen Brown (23) leading the way. Marcus Smart also plays a key role on both ends, averaging 12.1 points, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals.    

Meanwhile, the Mavericks have the best scoring defense in the NBA, giving up 103.7 points and clamping down on three-point shooters. Opponents shoot just 33.7 percent against them from long range (fourth in NBA). All-Star Luka Doncic is the team's leader across the board, as he is fifth in the NBA in both scoring (28 per game) and assists (8.7). He also gets team highs in rebounds (9.6) and steals (1.2). Doncic scored 33 in the previous meeting this season, and Jalen Brunson had 13 and is averaging 16 this season.  

The model has broken down the Celtics vs. Mavericks matchup from every angle, and we can tell you it is leaning Over the total. It also shows that one side of the spread is hitting in 60 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any NBA picks.

Who wins Mavericks vs. Celtics on Sunday afternoon? And which side of the spread is hitting 60 percent of the time? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Celtics vs. Mavericks spread you should be all over Sunday, all from the model on a 74-47 roll on NBA picks!