The Celtics are set to face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday, May 9. The game is scheduled for 7:00 ET while airing on ESPN. Boston enters this game as 13.5-point favorites with the total set at 212. How will this one play out? Let’s dive into the Celtics vs Cavaliers player props and predictions below.
Celtics vs. Cavaliers Odds
- Spread: Celtics -13.5
- Total 212
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Game Info
- Date: Thursday, May 9
- Time: 7:00 ET
- Location: TD Garden, Boston MA
- TV: ESPN
Cavaliers Betting Trends
- Over their last five games, the Cavaliers have an over/under record of 3-2 and are 1-4 vs. the spread.
- In their last five games away from home, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 0-5 while going 1-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 96 points per game in these contests.
- Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 0-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 0-3.
Celtics Betting Trends
- In their last five games, the Celtics have an over/under record of 4-1 and are 3-1-1 vs. the spread.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, Boston has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 103 per game. The team went 4-1 overall in these games.
- Through their last three games as the favorite, the Celtics have an ATS record of 3-0 and a straight up mark of 3-0.
After a 40-34 first quarter, the Celtics took a 92-77 lead into the 4th quarter of this game. They went on to win by a score of 120-95, easily covering the spread as 12.5-point favorites. The over/under line for this game was set at 211 points, and the teams combined to score 215.
Jaylen Brown and the Celtics had a big night shooting the ball from beyond the arc, making 18 threes as a team. Brown hit four threes and finished with 32 points, while Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 33 points. The Cavs struggled to shoot the ball, making just 11 threes and shooting 26.2% from outside.
Can Cleveland Grab a Win on the Road?
In games against Eastern Conference opponents, the Cavaliers are 31-21 compared to 17-13 against the West. This puts them in 4th place in the East, and they are 2nd in the Central Division with a record of 48-34.
On the road, the Cavaliers are 22-23 this season. Their straight-up record as the underdog is 11-22, and they are 19-24 ATS on the road. Currently, they are the 6th seed in the East.
Cleveland’s O/U record for the season is 45-44-1, and the over has hit in their last two games. Today’s O/U line is set at 212, and their games have averaged 220.7 points per game this season.
In their most recent game, the Cavaliers lost to the Celtics by a score of 120-95. They were 12.5-point underdogs in that game and are 4-10 as underdogs this season. The Cavs did not cover the spread in that game, going in with an ATS record of 41-47.
Donovan Mitchell is averaging 33.6 points per game over his last five games, hitting 47.2% of his shots from the field. In addition to his scoring, he has averaged 5.2 rebounds in that stretch. For the season, he is averaging 26.6 points per game. Caris LeVert is averaging 14 points per game this season, but has hit just 32.5% of his threes.
Cleveland is averaging 112.6 points per game this season, which is 23rd in the league. Their scoring average on the road is 109 points per contest. Looking at their season-long scoring numbers, the Cavaliers have scored below their season average in 67.1% of their games and have outscored the league average in 42.7% of their games.
When it comes to defense, the Cavaliers have been one of the best units in the league this season. They are currently 7th in the NBA in points allowed per game at 109.6. On the road, they have been even better, ranking 5th in the league at 110.3 points per game.
One area where the Cavs have been strong defensively is in their ability to defend the three-point line. On the season, they are 10th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 36.6%. In terms of steals and blocked shots, Cleveland is 18th and 20th respectively.
Over their last five games, the Cavs have been even better on the defensive end, ranking 6th in field goal percentage allowed at 44.8%. However, one area where they have struggled during this stretch is at the free-throw line, as they are 26th in made free-throws allowed.
Can the Celtics Cover at Home?
The Celtics have a record of 46-38 against the spread this season and have covered in their last four games. At home, they are 25-18 ATS and have an average scoring differential of +15.4 points per game.
In games where they have been favored, the Celtics have gone 44-36 ATS and are currently favored by 13.5 points against the Cavaliers. As the favorite, they have won four straight games and have an ATS record of 67-17.
Boston’s O/U record for the season is 46-41-1, and the over has hit in their last two games. This year, their games have averaged 227.9 points per game compared to today’s line of 212.
The Celtics are currently 1st in the Eastern Conference with a record of 64-18. In their last game, they defeated the Cavaliers by a score of 120-95. Boston covered the spread as 12.5-point favorites.
This season, the Celtics are the NBA’s top three-point shooting team, in terms of both three-point attempts and three-pointers made. They are averaging 16.5 made threes per game, and their average of 42.5 attempts per contest is also the best mark in the league. Overall, they have hit 38% of their looks from beyond the arc.
Jaylen Brown is averaging 25.8 points per game in his last five games, and he has hit 55.1% of his shots from the field in that stretch. Derrick White is averaging 23.4 points in his last five games while hitting 50% of his threes. Jrue Holiday is shooting 42.9% from three this season.
When you think of the Boston Celtics, you think of their strong defense. This season, they are 3rd in the NBA in points allowed per game at 108.1. Over their last five games, they have been even better, giving up just 92.4 points per game.
For the year, opponents have only made 17 free throws per game against the Celtics, which leads the league. In terms of field goal percentage, Boston is 2nd in the NBA at 45.2%. They have been especially good at defending inside the arc, ranking 3rd in two-point shooting percentage allowed at 51.9%.
One area where opponents have had success against the Celtics is from three-point range. On the season, Boston is 15th in three-point shooting percentage allowed at 34.6%. However, over their last five games, they are 4th in the NBA at 29.9% from three.
Celtics vs. Cavaliers Player Props
A player prop we are looking at is Jayson Tatum and his points prop of 27.5.
Currently, the over for this prop is sitting at a payout of -109 while the under is at -125. Our projections have Jayson Tatum finishing with a stat line of 27 points, 9 and 5 assists. As for his points prop, we like the under at 27.5.
- The Prop: Jayson Tatum Under 27.5 Points (-125)
Celtics vs. Cavaliers Predictions
When looking to get a point-spread pick down in this Cavaliers vs. Celtics game, our recommendation is to take the Cavaliers at +13.5. Despite our model showing the Celtics winning 116-104, we like Cavaliers as our point-spread pick.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 212, and our model projects the Cavaliers and Celtics to reach a combined total of 220 points. Our bet is on taking the over.
The Pick: Cavaliers +13.5 | at Fanduel Sportsbook