Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Betting Pick & Prediction 5/15/24

The Celtics have a chance to close out this first-round series with a win at home on Wednesday night. They are currently up 3-1 in the series and are favored by 15 points at home. The over/under line is at 203.5, and the Celtics are -1368 on the money line compared to the Cavaliers at +784. Tip-off is at 7:00 PM ET from TD Garden and is being televised on TNT.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS BOSTON CELTICS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers +15

This game will be played at TD Garden at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, May 15th.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 114-106 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 109-102 road win over the Cavaliers in the most recent game of this series. Boston was favored by 11.5 points, so the Cavaliers covered the spread as the underdogs. Heading into the game, the over/under line was set at 204 points, and the teams combined to score 211, which was 7 points above the over/under line.

Offensively, the Celtics shot 48.7% from the field, which was above their season average, but they made just 12 threes, which was an average performance for them. Jayson Tatum led all scorers with 33 points, and he also added 11 rebounds. Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 30 points.

Can the Cleveland Offense Score Enough on the Road?

The Cavaliers have an O/U record of 46-46-1 for the season, and 87 of their games have had higher over/under lines than today’s line of 203.5. This year, their games have averaged a combined 220.3 points.

In their last game against the Celtics, the two teams combined for 211 points, and the O/U line was 204. The Cavaliers covered the spread in that game, losing by a score of 109-102 (+11.5).

This season, Cleveland has gone 12-24 as the underdog and has lost their last two games as the underdog. Their ATS record as the underdog on the road is 16-19, compared to a 27-29 ATS record overall.

The Cavaliers are currently 4th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 48-34. In non-conference games, they are 17-13 compared to 31-21 against the East. On the road, they are 23-23.

Donovan Mitchell has been carrying the Cavaliers offense of late, averaging 33.5 points per game in his last four games. This has come while hitting 4.5 threes per game in that stretch. Darius Garland has put up 17 points per game in his last five games. Evan Mobley has averaged 11.2 rebounds in his last five games. All three players are dealing with injuries heading into the game.

Cleveland is 23rd in the league in scoring this season at 112.6 points per game. When playing on the road, they are averaging 109.2 points per contest. The team’s pace of 97 possessions per game is the 24th highest rate in the NBA.

When it comes to defense, the Cavaliers have been one of the best in the league this season. They are currently ranked 7th in points allowed per game at 109.3. On the road, they have been even better, giving up just 109.9 points per game, which is 5th in the NBA.

Opponents have struggled to score against Cleveland, as they have held teams below their season average in 74.4% of their games. In addition, opposing offenses have made fewer threes than their season average in 67.1% of their matchups vs. the Cavs.

Overall, the Cavaliers are 4th in field goal percentage allowed at 46.2%. They have been especially tough inside the arc, allowing just 52.4% shooting on two-point attempts, which is also 4th in the league.

Can the Boston Offense Score Enough at Home?

In the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are in 1st place with a record of 64-18. Against other teams in the East, they are 41-11 compared to 23-7 against the West.

Boston has won two straight games and is favored by 15 points in today’s game. As the favorite, they have gone 69-18 this season and are 45-38 against the spread as the favorite.

On average, the Celtics’ games have finished with 227.3 points per game compared to today’s O/U line of 203.5. This season, they have a record of 47-43-1 on the O/U.

In their most recent game, the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers by a score of 109-102. The O/U line for that game was 204 points, and Boston was favored by 11.5 points. However, they did not cover the spread.

This season, the Celtics have an ATS record of 47-40, going 25-19 ATS at home and 22-21 ATS on the road.

This season, the Celtics are leading the league in both three-point attempts and three-pointers made per game. They are getting up 42.5 three-point attempts per game and are connecting on 38% of their looks from beyond the arc. Overall, the Celtics are the second-best scoring team in the league, averaging 120.6 points per game.

Jayson Tatum is averaging 26.9 points per game this season and 25 points and 10.8 rebounds in his last five games. Jaylen Brown has been hot of late, shooting 60.5% from the field and 36% from three in his last five games. This has led to an average of 26.2 points per game in this stretch. Derrick White is averaging 15.2 points per game for the season and 15.4 points in his last five games.

When it comes to defense, the Boston Celtics are one of the best units in the NBA. They are currently 3rd in the league in points allowed per game at 108.0. Over their last five games, they have been even better, allowing just 98.4 points per contest.

On the season, opponents have shot just 45.3% from the field against the Celtics, which is the 2nd best mark in the NBA. They are also 2nd in blocked shots, swatting away 6.6 shots per game.

One area where Boston has been able to limit their opponents is at the free-throw line. They are giving up just 16.8 made free-throws per game, which is the fewest in the league.