Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
The Celtics and Cavaliers tip off their second-round matchup at 7:00 PM ET at TD Garden in Boston. Boston is the 1-seed in the Eastern Conference, and they are favored by 11.5 points. The over/under line is sitting at 208 points, and the Celtics are -627 on the money line compared to the Cavaliers at +452. TNT is carrying this game on TV.
Check out BetCoco for Boston Celtics – Cleveland Cavaliers odds
Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The last three times that the Celtics have faced off vs. the Cavaliers as the favorite, they have gone 2-1. Over the last three head-to-head matchup between the Cavaliers and Celtics, the Cavaliers have the edge vs. the spread at 2-0-1, but the Celtics actually have a positive scoring differential of 5 points per game.
- Through their last three road contests, the Cavaliers offense has averaged 89 points per game while allowing an average of 112. Cleveland posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 0-3 ATS.
- Boston has played well in their previous five home games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 103 points per game while allowing 94. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
- Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Cavaliers have gone 2-8 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-9.
- Through their last three games as the favorite, the Celtics have an ATS record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 3-0.
Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction
Donovan Mitchell had a big game for the Cavaliers, putting up 39 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. He shot 40.7% from the field and hit 2 threes. Cleveland’s win over the Magic was a series clincher, as they won the series 4-3. In the 106-94 win, the Cavs were able to close things out at home.
Caris LeVert also had a solid game for Cleveland, finishing with 15 points. As a team, the Cavs hit 44.2% of their shots and 33.3% of their threes. Max Strus also hit 3 threes for Cleveland, finishing with 13 points.
The Celtics are coming off a 118-84 win over the Heat and closed out the series in five games. Boston won the series 4-1 and picked up the clinching win at home. The combined total points for the game was 202, which was just 0.5 points above the over/under line of 201.5 points.
Offensively, the Celtics hit 16 threes and shot 40% from beyond the arc. As a team, they shot 54.5% from the field. Jaylen Brown and Derrick White each scored 25 points for Boston. White hit five threes and shot 61.5% from the field. Sam Hauser also hit five threes and finished with 17 points.
Today, the Cavaliers are 11.5-point underdogs against the Celtics. This season, Cleveland has been the underdog in 32 of their 82 games and has gone 11-21 in those games. As the underdog, they have lost their last three games against the spread.
In terms of their O/U record, Cleveland is 44-44-1 for the season. Today’s line of 208 is lower than 75 of their games this season. On average, their games have finished with 220.8 points.
Cleveland’s last game was a 106-94 win over the Magic. They were favored by 3 points in that game, and the O/U line was 195.5. The Cavs covered the spread in that game.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers are currently in 4th place with a record of 48-34. Against other Eastern Conference teams, they are 31-21 compared to 17-13 in non-conference play.
On the road, the Cavaliers are 22-22 this season. Their average scoring differential on the road is -0.7 points per game. Against the spread, they are 19-23 on the road.
Donovan Mitchell is averaging 29.6 points per game over his last five games while shooting 45.7% from the field. In these games, he also averaged 4.8 assists and 5 rebounds. Darius Garland has hit 43.3% of his shots in his last five games and 15 points per game. He also averaged 5.2 assists in these games.
Cleveland is averaging 112.6 points per game this season, which is 23rd in the league. Their scoring production on the road is 109.3 points per game compared to 113.3 at home. The Cavaliers are 22nd in pace and have an average of 97 possessions per game.
When it comes to defense, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the best units in the NBA this season, ranking 7th in points allowed per game at 109.4. They have been particularly stingy on the road, giving up just 110.0 points per contest, which is 5th in the league.
One reason for their success has been their ability to limit opponents’ field goal percentage, as they are 4th in the NBA in that category at 46.2%. They have also been tough inside, ranking 4th in two-point shooting percentage allowed.
Over their last five games, Cleveland’s defense has been even better, ranking 9th in points allowed at 106.6 per game. During that stretch, they have continued to defend the three-point line well, giving up just 34.6% from beyond the arc.
In their last three games, the Celtics have covered the spread and are 45-38 ATS on the season. As the favorite, they have an ATS record of 43-36 and have been favored in 83 of their 82 games. Today, they are favored by 11.5 points.
Against the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are 41-11 and are currently in 1st place with a record of 64-18. In non-conference games, they are 23-7.
Boston’s O/U record for the season is 45-41-1, and their games have averaged a combined scoring total of 228.1 points. Today’s O/U line is set at 208.
In their most recent game, the Celtics defeated the Heat by a score of 118-84. The O/U line for that game was 201.5, and Boston covered the spread as 13.5-point favorites.
In the Eastern Conference standings, the Celtics are in 1st place, and they have won three straight games. On the road, they have an ATS record of 21-20 compared to 24-18 at home.
Boston is currently the NBA’s second-ranked scoring offense, at 120.6 points per game. They have been even better at home, with an average of 122.3 points per contest. The Celtics lead the league in both three-point attempts and three-pointers made this season.
Jaylen Brown has averaged 22.8 points per game over his last five games on a shooting percentage of 52.2%. Derrick White is averaging 22.4 points in his last five games, while hitting 47.7% of his threes in that stretch. Jrue Holiday has hit 42.9% of his threes this season.
When it comes to defense, the Celtics are one of the best in the league, allowing just 108.3 points per game, which is good for 4th overall. At home, they have been even better, giving up just 107.1 points per game, which is also 4th in the NBA.
One area where Boston has been particularly strong is on the glass, as they are 2nd in the league in rebounding. They are also 2nd in blocked shots at 6.6 per game.
Overall, opponents have shot just 45.3% from the field against the Celtics, which is the 2nd best mark in the NBA. They have also been tough inside, as they are 3rd in two-point shooting percentage allowed.
With the Celtics being favored by 11.5, our NFL analytics models has this one playing out 116-105 in favor of the Celtics.
Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Tips
- Take the Celtics on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Cavaliers (+11.5)
- Projecting a combined 221 points, we like the over
Boston Celtics Injury Report
- Kristaps Porzingis – Calf – Out
Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report
- Jarrett Allen – Rib – Questionable
- Ty Jerome – Ankle – Out
- Dean Wade – Knee – Out
- Craig Porter Jr. – Ankle – Out
