The Boston Celtics meet the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden to open the Eastern Conference Finals. The game starts at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 13, 2018, and will air on ABC.
Cleveland opened as a 1.5-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 204 points.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics ATS Prediction
The last time the Cavaliers played, they dismantled the Toronto Raptors, 128-93. Cleveland launched 26 three pointers, making 12 of them (46.2 percent). Toronto, meanwhile, was 4-15 (26.7 percent). With 29 points on 12-for-19 shooting, LeBron James was the game’s high scorer.
The Celtics barely escaped the Philadelphia 76ers in their last game, 114-112. Boston’s 8.8 turnover percentage was their largest advantage over Philadelphia, who had a rate of 14.3. The Celtics’ mark was better than their season average of 12.3. Jayson Tatum led Boston in scoring with 25 points on 8-for-15 shooting.
Points at the line could be rare for Boston in this contest. The Celtics currently rank 17th in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.192, while Cleveland ranks second in FTA rate allowed (0.168). Additionally, the Cavaliers rank fifth in offensive efficiency (111.0), while the Celtics rank second in defensive efficiency (102.7).
Cleveland is 58-35 straight up (SU), but they struggle covering the spread (36-55-2 against the spread (ATS)). Vegas has typically been fairly accurate when predicting totals of Cavaliers games, with 46 overs compared to 46 unders.
Meanwhile, Boston owns records of 63-31 SU and 57-33-4 ATS. Of the Celtics’ 94 games, 50 have finished over the projected point total.
The Cavaliers were 13-8 ATS with 11 unders, nine overs and one push in the First-Round Series. The Celtics, meanwhile, were 3-3 with five unders and one over
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. LeBron James (34.8 points, 9.6 assists, 7.6 rebounds and 2.0 steals) has been great for the Cavaliers while Terry Rozier (20.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.2 steals) has contributed greatly to the Celtics.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Free Pick
Free NBA Pick: SU Winner – Cavaliers, ATS Winner – Cavaliers, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Cleveland is 22-23-1 ATS with 25 overs and 21 unders.
At home, Boston is 27-17-4 ATS with 29 overs and 19 unders.
Boston is 39-6 when they hold opponents under 100 points, while Cleveland is 19-5.
The Cavaliers are 55-18 when they reach the century mark, while the Celtics are 49-14.
Boston ranks fourth in assists allowed per game (21.5) while Cleveland ranks 28th (25.3).
The Celtics rank eighth in three pointers allowed per game (27.5) while the Cavaliers rank 28th (31.1).
Boston ranks 10th in rebounds per game (44.2) while Cleveland ranks 25th (41.7).
The Cavaliers rank 13th in fast break points per game (12.1) while the Celtics rank 27th (9.6).
Boston ranks third in second chance points allowed per game (11.0) while Cleveland ranks 16th (12.8).
The Celtics rank 18th in blocks per game (4.6) while the Cavaliers rank 27th (3.8).
Cleveland ranks 22nd in points in the paint per game (43.5) while Boston ranks 29th (40.1).
The Celtics rank fifth in steals allowed per game (7.2) while the Cavaliers rank 11th (7.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cleveland is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under.
Boston is 4-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over their last five games.
The Cavaliers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 12.0, up from 1.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 106.4 points per game (2.4 above their season average) and allowed an average of 103.4 points per game (2.7 above their season average).
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