Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Pick & Prediction 5/13/24

The Cavaliers and Celtics are set to tip-off game four of their Eastern Conference first-round series at 7:00 PM ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Heading into Monday night’s matchup, the Celtics lead the series 2-1 and are favored by 8.5 points. The over/under line is sitting at 206 points, and the money line odds are -358 for the Celtics and +282 for the Cavaliers. TNT is carrying the game on TV.

BOSTON CELTICS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Boston Celtics -8.5

This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 7:00 ET on Monday, May 13th.

WHY BET THE BOSTON CELTICS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 115-104 in favor of the Celtics.
• Our projections have Jayson Tatum finishing with Jayson Tatum points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
• From the field, we have the Celtics finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.4% and knocking down 17 threes.

The Celtics picked up a 106-93 win over the Cavaliers in the most recent game of this series. Boston was favored by 7.5 points heading into the game, and they easily covered the spread. The over/under line was set at 211 points, and the teams fell 12 points short of that line. The Celtics had a strong defensive performance, holding the Cavs to just 42.9% shooting from the field.

Offensively, Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics with 33 points, and he also added 13 rebounds. Tatum was just 2-8 from three-point range. Jaylen Brown was the second-leading scorer for the Celtics with 28 points. Donovan Mitchell also had 33 points for the Cavs, and he made seven threes.

Will the Boston Defense Show Up on the Road?

In today’s game against the Cavaliers, the Celtics are favored by 8.5 points. This season, Boston has been favored in 86 of their 82 games and has a record of 68-18 as the favorite.

As the favorite, the Celtics have gone 45-37 against the spread, with an average scoring margin of +12 points per game. Their ATS record as the favorite on the road is 22-20.

On the road this season, the Celtics have a record of 30-14, which is the 3rd-best mark in the NBA. Against the spread, they have covered in three straight road games.

For the season, Boston has an O/U record of 46-43-1, and their games have averaged 227.4 points per game. Today’s O/U line of 206 is lower than their season average of 227.2.

In their last game against the Cavaliers, the Celtics won by a score of 106-93. Boston covered the spread as 7.5-point favorites, and the game finished with a combined scoring of 199 points.

The Celtics are currently in 1st place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 64-18. Against the East, they are 41-11 and have gone 23-7 against non-conference opponents.

Boston comes into the game as the NBA’s second-ranked scoring offense, at 120.6 points per game. Despite being one of the league’s top-scoring teams, they have scored below the league average in 34.1% of their games. The Celtics are also one of the faster-paced teams in the league, averaging 97.2 possessions per game.

The Celtics lead the league in both three-point attempts per game and three-pointers made per game. They are averaging 16.5 made threes per game this season. Jayson Tatum has averaged 26.9 PPG this season, followed by Jaylen Brown at 23.0. Brown is averaging 2.1 made threes per game, while Tatum is averaging 3.1 made threes per game.

When it comes to defense, the Celtics are one of the best in the NBA, ranking 3rd in points allowed per game at 108.0. They have been especially stingy over their last five games, giving up just 95.6 points per contest.

One of the keys to Boston’s defensive success has been their ability to limit free-throw attempts, as they lead the league in fewest made free-throws allowed per game at 16.9.

While the Celtics have been great at defending inside the arc, ranking 3rd in two-point shooting percentage allowed at 52.0%, they have been more middle of the pack when it comes to defending the three-point line, allowing opponents to shoot 34.7% from deep.

Will the Cleveland Defense Show Up at Home?

Today’s O/U line of 206 is lower than Cleveland’s season average of 220.7 points per game. The Cavs have hit the under in two straight games and have a record of 45-46-1 on the O/U for the season.

In their most recent game against the Celtics, the two teams combined for 199 points, which was well below the O/U line of 211. Cleveland lost the game by a score of 106-93 and did not cover the spread (+7.5).

For the season, the Cavaliers are 12-23 as underdogs and have gone 15-19 ATS as underdogs. As the underdog, they have a scoring margin of -6.7 points per 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 games.

Cleveland’s ATS record for the season is 42-48, with a home ATS record of 22-24 and a road ATS record of 20-24. As the underdog, they are 15-19 ATS on the road and 27-29 ATS overall.

Donovan Mitchell is averaging 36.8 points per game over his last five games on a shooting percentage of 51.9%. In these games, he hit 44.7% of his threes for an average of 4.2 made threes per contest. Darius Garland has averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 assists in his last five games, but his three-point shooting percentage in that stretch is just 33.3%.

Cleveland is 19th in scoring this season at 112.6 points per game and are just below that mark at home, with an average of 112.8 points per contest. Looking at their pace, the Cavaliers are 24th in the league. The team’s average of 13.5 made threes per game is 10th in the NBA.

When it comes to scoring defense, the Cavaliers have been one of the best units in the league this season. Overall, they are giving up just 109.3 points per game, which is 7th best in the NBA. They have been even better at home, where they are allowing just 108.8 points per game.

One area where the Cavaliers have been able to limit their opponents is from three-point range. On the season, they are 10th in the league in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 36.5%. Over their last five games, they have been even better, holding opponents to just 32.6% from beyond the arc.

One area where the Cavaliers have struggled is in terms of blocked shots, as they are just 21st in the league in that category. However, they have done a good job of not fouling, as they are just 25th in the NBA in personal fouls.