Eastern Conference leaders the Boston Celtics (48-12) set off on the first of a five-game road trip on Tuesday night as they come up against the third-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers (39-21).
Two top teams will meet at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland tonight with tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Celtics are looking to extend an 11-game winning streak here, whilst the Cavs are hoping to bounce back from a 107-98 home defeat against the New York Knicks last time out.
Currently listed as 8-point favorites according to Points Bet, Boston will feel confident of finding the victory in this one. They are -350 favorites on the moneyline and the game total is set at O/U 216 (-110). Watch out for our best bet ahead of tonight’s matchup below!
Last Time Out
It was a night to forget for the Golden State Warriors on Sunday as they were crushed 140-88 by the Celtics at TD Garden, Boston. Jaylen Brown put up a game-high 29 points, whilst fellow star Jayson Tatum impressed with 27 himself. After leading 82-38 at the half, the Celtics were able to rest their starters for the second half.
That win means that Boston have now won 11 in a row, and have lost just two games over their last 18 in the NBA. They have also won eight straight on the road, beating the Knicks 116-102 in their last matchup outside Massachusetts. Many believe that the Celtics are the best team in the league this season.
Things haven’t been the same for the Cavaliers since the All-Star Break, and they are just 3-4 following the return. Out of those three wins, only one of them has come against a team with a +.500 record - the Dallas Mavericks (121-119). The other two have come against the 9-52 Washington Wizards and the 9-51 Detroit Pistons.
Cleveland has labored offensively without star guard Donovan Mitchell who has now missed back-to-back games. That includes the loss to the Knicks on Sunday as they failed to hit 100 points. Backup guard Sam Merill recorded a solid team-high 21 points, but the absence of Mitchell was clearly felt.
Injuries & Team News
Injuries are set to affect both teams in Ohio tonight. The road team has All-Star Brown (knee) and center Kristaps Porziņģis (quad) both listed as questionable. It seems unlikely that Boston will risk their two starters tonight. Neemias Queta will also miss out due to a knee injury.
However, the Cavs are also dealing with the fact that Mitchell (knee) will miss the next three games. Cleveland is 7-6 sans Mitchell this season, but they are just 1-3 over their last four games without him. Fellow guard Max Strus (knee) has been ruled out as well, whilst Caris LeVert (elbow) and Isaac Okoro (elbow) are both questionable. Ty Jerome is still sidelined due to an ankle injury, whilst Tristan Thompson is suspended.
Head-to-Head
Boston leads the season series 2-0 with both wins coming at TD Garden back in December. They secured 120-113 and 116-107 wins. Brown and Tatum scored 20+ points each in both victories, whilst Mitchell was the leading scorer for the Cavs in each matchup.
The last two meetings between the two teams at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse have needed to be settled after overtime with the Cavs coming out on top in both. The C’s haven’t won in Cleveland since November 2021.
Betting Trends & Stats
Ranking third across the league in points per game (ppg) this season (121.3), the Celtics have been superb offensively. They have the third-best three-point efficiency in the NBA too. Boston are an extremely well-balanced side, however, and have allowed just the fourth-least ppg (109.9).
Meanwhile, the Cavs haven’t been the best on offense as they have averaged just 114.4 ppg (18th). That has dropped to 110.3 since the break and just 103.5 in their last four games without Mitchell. Cleveland’s main strengths have been on defense as they have given up the second-least ppg in the NBA (109.5).
Joe Mazzulla’s team have performed well against the spread (ATS) this season, and have a record of 30-27-3. However, they have covered in just 48% of road games. Still, they have the biggest point differential on the road in the league (6.8).
The Cavaliers have been solid ATS this season (29-29-2), but they have covered in less than half their games on their own court (44.8%). They are just 2-4-0 as home underdogs, with a point differential of -5.8.
Key Players
If Brown and Porziņģis are both unable to feature, the Celtics will lose some top scoring options out on the court as they are averaging 22.5 and 20.3 ppg respectively. However, Tatum (27.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists) has the ability to win this game on his own. He shot 9 of 13 from the field against the Warriors.
Mitchell’s average of 28.0 ppg is the fourth-highest in the league so the Cavs will seriously miss his ability. Darius Garland has the ability to put up points, though, and is averaging 23.7 ppg over his last three. The ability of Evan Mobley to complete rebounds will be important too. He has hit double figures in three straight games.
Best Bet
The Cavs have been very unreliable since the break and will be hindered further without Mitchell. The potential losses of Strus and LeVert weakens them even more, meaning the injury issues to Brown and Porzingis for the road team should largely be canceled out.
As one of the hottest teams in the NBA, it’s not a surprise that the Celtics are 8-point favorites tonight. Jayson Tatum has been heating up and he should lead Boston to a comfortable win.
Boston Celtics -8 (-110 with Points Bet)
