The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics meet Wednesday in Game 5 East Second Round NBA Playoffs action at the TD Garden. Here’s a Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction.
Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview
The Cleveland Cavaliers need a win to save their season and force a game 6 on Friday. The Cavs are 1-4 SU on the road in these NBA playoffs. The Cleveland Cavaliers are averaging 98.1 points on 44.6 percent shooting and allowing 102.8 points on 44 percent shooting. Donovan Mitchell is averaging 29.6 points and 4.7 assists, while Jarrett Allen is averaging 17 points and 1.3 assists. Darius Garland is the third double-digit scorer and Evan Mobley is grabbing 9.5 rebounds. The Cleveland Cavaliers are shooting 30.6 percent from beyond the arc and 76 percent from the free throw line. The Cleveland Cavaliers are allowing 32.4 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 39.7 rebounds per game.
Boston Celtics Betting Preview
The Boston Celtics look to win the series and make the Eastern Conference Finals for a third straight season. The Celtics are 3-2 SU at home in these NBA playoffs. The Boston Celtics are averaging 107.6 points on 47.5 percent shooting and allowing 96.6 points on 44.6 percent shooting. Jaylen Brown is averaging 24.4 points and 6.9 rebounds, while Jayson Tatum is averaging 24.2 points and 10.4 rebounds. Derrick White is the third double-digit scorer and Jrue Holiday is grabbing 5.2 rebounds. The Boston Celtics are shooting 36.8 percent from beyond the arc and 79.3 percent from the free throw line. The Boston Celtics are allowing 33 percent shooting from deep and are grabbing 45.1 rebounds per game.
Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Injury Report
Kristaps Porzingis remains out for the Celtics with a calf injury. The Cavaliers will be without Craig Porter Jr. and Ty Jerome. Jarrett Allen remains questionable for the Cavs as he continues to deal with a ribs’ injury. Allen hasn’t played since April 27. Caris LeVert is questionable with a knee injury, but he played in 38 minutes in game 4. Donovan Mitchell is questionable with a calf injury that kept him out of game 4. It was the second playoff game Mitchell has missed in his career.
Why the Boston Celtics will win
- The Celtics have won 15 of their last 16 home games against Central Division opponents.
- The Cavaliers have lost 10 of their last 11 road games against teams that held a winning record.
- The Cavaliers have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight playoff road games.
- The Celtics have covered the spread in each of their last six games at TD Garden following a road win.
Boston Celtics Player Facts
- Al Horford ranks 1st amongst qualified Centers for 3P% (41.9%) this season.
- Jrue Holiday ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for 3P% (42.9%) this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers Player Facts
- Evan Mobley ranks 11th amongst qualified players for FG% (58.0%) this season.
- Max Strus ranks 13th amongst qualified Forwards for three-pointers made Per Game (2.4) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for point differential per game this season (+11.3).
- The Celtics rank T1st in the league for blocks per game this season (6.6).
- The Cavaliers are one of only two teams to lose a game when leading by 20+ points at HT this season.
- The Cavaliers rank 3rd in the league for Q2 opponent points per game this season (26.9).
Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction
This isn’t looking great for the Cleveland Cavaliers as there was already a talent gap with the Celtics, but now they could be without Allen, LeVert and Mitchell. A Celtics’ blowout wouldn’t be surprising, and is expected if the Cavs are so undermanned. With that said, the Celtics haven’t been scoring the way they were in the regular season, and they could’ve easily lost game 4 with Cleveland in a similar situation. The Celtics have failed to cover their last two games as double-digit favorites, and they’ve lost 4 games outright as double-digit favorites since March 25. Lot of points here. It’s Cavs and the boatload of buckets if forced to pick.