Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Prediction, Preview and Odds - 05/09/2024

Game Time: 7:00 pm ET, Thursday, May 9, 2024

Venue:  TD Garden, Boston, MA

Where to Watch:  ESPN

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  Cavaliers +13.5, Celtics -13.5; Over/Under:  212 points

Bet365:  Point Spread:  Cavaliers +13.5, Celtics -13.5; Over/Under:  212.5 points

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Cavaliers +13.5, Celtics -13.5; Over/Under:  212.5 points

Cleveland Cavaliers:  48-34 (2nd place, Central Division)

Boston Celtics:  64-18 (1st place, Atlantic Division)

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Cleveland Cavaliers:  5-5 last 10

Boston Celtics:  7-3 last 10

The Cavaliers are entering this game with a 48-34 record overall to finish the regular season and they were 22-19 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Boston Celtics in their last game. Donovan Mitchell led the team in points in that game with 33 while Evan Mobley was next on the team with 17 points. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland each led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Evan Mobley led the team in rebounds with 13. They were 41.1% from the field, 26.2% from 3-point range, and 76.9% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 112.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 110.2 PPG against them. The Cavaliers have an ATS record of 41-47-2 this season and their O/U record is 44-45-1.

The Celtics are entering this game with a 64-18 record overall to finish the regular season and they were 37-4 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game on a 4 game winning streak with wins coming against the Miami Heat 3 times in a row and the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last game. Jaylen Brown led the team in points in that game with 32 while Derrick White was next on the team with 25 points. Jayson Tatum and Derrick White each led the team in assists in that game with 5 while Jayson Tatum led the team in rebounds with 11. They were 48.9% from the field, 39.1% from 3-point range, and 85.7% from the free throw line with their shots in that game. Their offense is averaging 120.6 PPG and their defense is allowing their opponents to average 109.2 PPG against them. The Celtics have an ATS record of 46-37-5 this season and their O/U record is 46-42.

The current betting odds have the Celtics listed as a 13.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is game 2 of a 7 game series between the 1st seeded Celtics and the 4th seeded Cavaliers for Round 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference playoffs. The Celtics have a 1-0 series lead after winning game 1 of this series on their home court. They looked great in game 1 against the Cavaliers, winning that game by over 20 points, and they have been on a roll now with 4 wins in a row, all of them coming by double digits. It is no surprise how good they looked since they do have the best home record in the entire NBA, going 37-4 in their home games this season. The 1 game they lost in the last round against the Heat did come at home, but they have won 4 games in a row since then, including 2 on their home court, so that loss served as a wake up call for them. The Celtics do not want an early exit in the playoffs after not getting to the final last year, especially after the regular season they just had. They have been the best team in the NBA this season and they will be looking to do exactly what they did in game 1 and blow the Cavs out again at home, taking a 2-0 lead in this series. The Cavaliers weren't a good road team during the regular season anyway, and that has continued into this series after 3 bad road games in their last series against the Magic. The best way to place a bet here is on the Celtics to cover the spread in this game. 

Cavaliers Celtics Prediction:  Our NBA Pick for Thursday, May 9, 2024 (7:00 pm ET start time) is Celtics 110 Cavaliers 86.

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Cleveland Cavaliers: 5-10 ATS in all playoff games. 29-38 ATS as a road underdog. 26-19 UNDER in road games. 11-4 UNDER in all playoff games. 35-21 UNDER revenging a loss vs opponent of 10 points or more. 

Boston Celtics: 10-4 ATS as a home favorite of 12.5 or more points. 27-17 ATS after a game where they covered the spread. 26-18 ATS after a win by 10 points or more. 21-9 UNDER after 4 straight wins by 10 points or more. 24-18 UNDER after 4 straight games - allowing a shooting pct. of 42% or less.

Cleveland Cavaliers:  C. Porter Jr. (PG) Ques Thurs - Ankle. J. Allen (C) Ques Thurs - Ribs. D. Wade (SF) Out indefinitely - Knee. T. Jerome (SG) Out indefinitely - Ankle.

Boston Celtics:  K. Porzingis (PF) Late May - Calf.

“We try to put him out there as long as we can. He’s playing over 40 minutes a game. So we’re doing our best to keep him out there because we know how impactful he is. But we’re not going to run him into the ground, so he’s got nothing left in the fourth quarter.” - J.B. Bickerstaff after his team’s loss against the Celtics in game 1 of this series on Tuesday.

“I had it rolling tonight. You just want to come out and make the right plays, make the right reads. That’s all it is. Playing through your teammates and playing with confidence.” - Jaylen Brown after their win against the Cavaliers in game 1 of this series on Tuesday.

PG Darius Garland

SG Donovan Mitchell

SF Max Strus

PF Marcus Morris Sr.

C Evan Mobley

PG Jrue Holiday

SG Derrick White

SF Jaylen Brown

PF Jayson Tatum

C Al Horford

PPG: D. Mitchell (26.6)

APG: D. Garland (6.5)

Reb/G: J. Allen (10.5)

PPG: J. Tatum (26.9)

APG: D. White (5.2)

Reb/G: J. Tatum (8.1)

Coaches:

Cleveland Cavaliers: J.B. Bickerstaff (5th season)

Boston Celtics: Joe Mazzulla (2nd season)