Boston 3 Party? Celtics to Romp in Game 1 vs Cavaliers
The last team to qualify for the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers, now get to face the team with the best NBA Finals odds, the Boston Celtics, in the second round. Game 1 of this series is scheduled for Tuesday night, giving the Cavaliers little time to rest after they needed seven games to get past the Orlando Magic in the first round.
Cleveland’s Game 7 victory at home on Sunday required a comeback from an 18-point first-half deficit. It was the Cavaliers’ first playoff series victory since four straight appearances in the NBA Finals from 2015 to 2018 with LeBron James leading the way. Cleveland hadn’t won a playoff series without James on the roster since 1993.
Meanwhile, the top-seeded Celtics have been resting since wrapping up their first-round series against the Miami Heat in five games on Wednesday. Boston had the best record in the NBA in the regular season at 64-18 and has been the favorite to advance out of the Eastern Conference for a few months now.
Here’s a look at some NBA Odds to consider!
Cavaliers vs Celtics Game Information
- Game: Cavaliers (0-0) vs Celtics (0-0)
- Date/Time: Tuesday, May 7, 7 p.m. ET
- Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
- Cavaliers vs Celtics Live Stream: NBA Game Pass
Boston won the season series with Cleveland, taking two of the three regular-season matchups. The Cavaliers won the last meeting, however, rallying at home from a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit to snap the Celtics’ 11-game winning streak at the time. These teams have had memorable postseason matchups as well, with the last two coming in the Eastern Conference finals in 2017 and 2018.
The Las Vegas NBA odds heavily favor the Celtics in the series opener, with Boston giving 12 points to the visiting Cavaliers. If you want to bet on the moneyline, you can get the Celtics at -650 while Cleveland is listed at +480 to get the straight-up win.
The over/under for Tuesday’s contest is set at 209 points, with -110 odds on either side of that wager.
Cavaliers vs Celtics Head-to-Head
Cavaliers vs Celtics Odds and Spreads
Cavaliers vs Celtics Betting Trends
- Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last five games.
- Boston is 17-2 straight-up in its last 19 home games.
- The total has gone over in 10 of the Cavaliers’ last 14 games against an Eastern Conference opponent.
- The total has gone under in four of the Celtics’ last five games played in May.
- Boston is 9-1 straight-up in its last 10 home games against Cleveland.
Cavaliers Can’t Afford Slow Start
As stated above, Cleveland has a penchant for comebacks this season, but if the Cavaliers want to have any chance in Game 1, they can’t fall behind early. Boston is champing at the bit to get this series started, having almost a week off between games, so it will be aggressive from the get-go.
But the Cavaliers have to try to slow things down, not allowing the Celtics to get out and run. Cleveland was seventh in the NBA in the regular season in scoring defense, allowing 110.2 points, and it has to keep this game a half-court affair to be able to take advantage of that.
Center Jarrett Allen would be a key to that defense, but his status for this game is uncertain. He missed the last three games of the first-round series with Orlando due to a rib injury. His presence in the paint is important to the Cavaliers’ chances in this series – he’s averaging 17.0 points, 13.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks and 1.3 steals in the postseason.
Of course, the biggest key is the play of the guard tandem of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Mitchell was fantastic in the final games of the Magic series, going for 50 in a Game 6 loss and following that up with 39 points in the series clincher. His 89 combined points were the second-most in NBA history in Games 6 and 7 of a series, behind only Allen Iverson’s 90 in 2001.
Donovan Mitchell dropped 89 points in games 6 and 7, the second most in NBA history behind only Allen Iverson with 90 points in 2001. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ZrLNTiATRN
— Stadium Live (@StadiumLiveApp) May 5, 2024
“I don’t mean this disrespectful, but it doesn’t really mean much,” Mitchell said of the first-round series victory. “We didn’t come in just to win the first round. We accomplished one goal, now we have to do it again. That’s the mindset.”
To do that, All-Star point guard Garland has to play better on both ends of the floor. Garland’s averages are down to 14.9 points and 5.4 assists in the postseason, compared to his 18.0 points and 6.5 assists averaged in the regular season. Mitchell can’t continue to carry the Cavaliers single-handedly or Boston will be through this series in a hurry.
Stay ahead in the game with unbeatable NBA game odds and NBA lines.
Take A Look At These Other 2 NBA Special Articles
- Al Horford Leads Tuesday’s 3 Best NBA Player Prop Bets.
- Tuesday NBA Playoff Parlay: Celtics, Thunder to Protect Home Floor.
Celtics Can’t Look Ahead Against Cavaliers
Boston has plenty of confidence right now, but it can’t just assume it’s headed to the NBA Finals because of what it has done so far this season. The Celtics are going to have to earn the trip, and the Cavaliers can’t be looked past in this round.
The Atlantic Division champs will continue to be without center Kristaps Porzingis for the immediate future after he hurt his calf in the first-round series against the Heat. Porzingis is averaging 20.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in the postseason, so the Celtics will need to try to make up that production collectively rather than rely on veteran Al Horford alone.
The Celtics’ All-Star tandem of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will take center stage on the offensive end of the floor, but both will be dealing with a lot of defensive attention. Tatum has averaged 21.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists while Brown is averaging 22.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in the postseason.
The star of the first-round series win against Miami, however, was guard Derrick White, who scored 22.4 points while shooting 47.7% from 3-point range. He had 38 points in the Game 4 victory on the road that all but ended the series, then followed that up with 25 points in the Game 5 clincher, playing to the home crowd at TD Garden after many of his baskets.
“I think that’s when I’m at my best, when I’m having fun out there,” White said after Game 6. “But at the same time realizing this is a best moment and we’re all locked into it.”
A franchise playoff record 13 threes over his last two games 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/qIc30t88BC
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 2, 2024
Celtics Have No Trouble With Cavs
There is sure to be a letdown for the Cavaliers after an emotional seven-game series with the Magic, and that will be especially evident in Game 1. Boston’s rust may keep this game close for a little bit on Tuesday, but the Celtics should have no trouble pulling away for an easy victory.
This game could get out of hand in a hurry, so individual prop bets may not be the way to go. But when you do your NBA betting, take Boston to cover and take the over as well.
Bet $200, Get $450 Bonus on first deposit! Power up your picks!
Questions Of The Day
Who won the regular-season series between the Cavaliers and Celtics?
Boston won the season series 2-1, though Cleveland won the most recent matchup in March.
The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.
