Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/1/24

At 6:00 ET, the 2nd ranked Celtics (-122) will take on the 1st ranked Cavaliers (+102) in Cleveland. Boston is currently favored by 1.5 points, and the over/under line is sitting at 235.5.

Despite being the underdog, the Cavs are 17-3 and are currently on a two-game losing streak. The Celtics, on the other hand, have won seven straight and are 16-3 overall.

BOSTON CELTICS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Boston Celtics -1.5

This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 6:00 ET on Sunday, December 1st.

WHY BET THE BOSTON CELTICS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 142-125 in favor of the Celtics.
• Our projections have Jayson Tatum finishing with 27 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
• From the field, we have the Celtics finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.6% and knocking down 20 threes.

Can The Celtics Secure a Win at Cleveland?

Boston improved to 16-3 this season with a 138-129 win over the Bulls on Friday. The Celtics were favored by 11.5 points but didn’t cover the spread, winning by nine. The game’s total points of 267.5 exceeded the O/U line of 244.5 by 22.5 points.

Boston jumped out to a 39-30 lead after the 1st quarter, but the Bulls responded with a 10-0 run, closing the gap to 39-38. Chicago won the 2nd quarter 37-28, and the teams were tied at 96 entering the 4th. The Celtics pulled away by outscoring the Bulls 42-33 in the final period.

The Celtics’ offense was firing on all cylinders in their win over the Bulls, putting up 138 points with a 50% shooting performance. They connected on 23 three-pointers, shooting 42.6% from beyond the arc.

Jayson Tatum led the way with 35 points and 14 rebounds, while Payton Pritchard added 29 points, hitting 7 threes and scoring 19 points in the 4th quarter. Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis each chipped in 21 points.

Even with a shaky defensive performance, the Celtics managed to pull off a win against the Bulls, allowing 129 points on 51% shooting. Boston gave up 30 points in the 1st quarter and 37 in the 2nd, but they tightened up in the 3rd, holding Chicago to 29 points before allowing 33 in the 4th.

The Celtics also allowed 20 three-pointers on 39% shooting. They sent the Bulls to the free-throw line 16 times, where Chicago converted 13. Boston finished with 40 defensive rebounds, giving up 5 offensive boards, and added 6 steals and 2 blocks.

Do the Cavaliers Have What it Takes at Home?

The Cavaliers fell to 17-3 on the season after a 117-101 road loss to the Hawks on Friday. Cleveland, who entered the game as 5.5-point favorites, couldn’t cover the spread. The combined score of 218 points fell well short of the 243.5-point O/U line.

After a tight first half, with the Cavs trailing 52-50, Atlanta took control in the 3rd quarter, outscoring Cleveland 39-23. The Cavs tried to rally in the 4th, winning the quarter 28-26, but the damage was already done.

The Cavaliers struggled offensively in their loss to the Hawks, shooting just 40.9% from the field and 28.9% from three-point range, making only 11 threes. Darius Garland led the way with 29 points, hitting 5 threes at a 62.5% clip.

Evan Mobley added 24 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 58.8%. Donovan Mitchell had a tough night, shooting 21.7% from the field and 20% from three, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Defensively, the Cavaliers had a strong 2nd quarter but struggled in the 3rd, allowing 39 points in a 117-101 loss to the Hawks. Cleveland gave up 14 threes on 41% shooting and sent Atlanta to the line 18 times, where they hit 15 free throws.

The Cavaliers recorded 29 defensive rebounds but allowed 10 offensive boards. They finished the game with 9 steals but didn’t record any blocks.