A trip to the NBA Finals will be on the line when the Boston Celtics (3-3) challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3) at TD Garden in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. The game starts at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 27, 2018, and will air on ESPN.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 200 points with Boston opening as a 2-point favorite.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics ATS Prediction
James scored a game-high 46 points in game six, in which the Cavaliers defeated the Celtics 109-99, covering as 6.5-point favorites. He also recorded 11 rebounds and nine assists. The game finished with a total of 208 points, which was 6 points above the projected point total of 202 points. The Cavaliers had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (36.6 vs. 14.7) and had a much better turnover percentage (8.5 vs. 13.6).
Boston may have trouble getting to the foul line in this battle. The Celtics currently rank 17th in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.193, while Cleveland ranks second in FTA rate allowed (0.171). Additionally, the fifth-ranked offense of the Cavaliers (offensive efficiency of 110.6) will battle against the second-ranked defense of the Celtics (defensive efficiency of 102.8).
Cleveland has a solid 61-38 straight up (SU) record, but they are just 39-58-2 against the spread (ATS). Of the Cavaliers’ 99 games, 50 have finished under the total.
Meanwhile, Boston is 66-34 SU and 60-36-4 ATS. In opposition of Cleveland, just over half of Celtics games have finished over the total.
In the playoffs, the Cavaliers are 13-8 ATS with 11 unders, nine overs and one push while the Celtics are 3-3 with five unders and one over
Terry Rozier has averaged 12.6 points, 5.8 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals over the last five games for Boston.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics Odds Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Celtics, ATS Winner – Celtics, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Cleveland is 22-26-1 ATS with 25 overs and 24 unders.
Boston is 30-17-4 ATS at home with 29 overs and 22 unders.
When holding opponents below 100 points, Boston is 42-6 and Cleveland is 21-6.
When reaching 100 points, the Cavaliers are 58-18 and the Celtics are 51-15.
Boston ranks fourth in assists allowed per game (21.3) while Cleveland ranks 27th (25.1).
The Celtics rank ninth in three pointers allowed per game (27.6) while the Cavaliers rank 28th (31.0).
Boston ranks third in second chance points allowed per game (11.1) while Cleveland ranks 15th (12.7).
The Celtics rank 13th in rebounds per game (44.0) while the Cavaliers rank 25th (41.8).
Cleveland ranks 15th in fast break points per game (11.8) while Boston ranks 26th (9.6).
The Celtics rank fourth in steals allowed per game (7.0) while the Cavaliers rank 11th (7.3).
Cleveland ranks third in blocks allowed per game (4.1) while Boston ranks 10th (4.7).
The Cavaliers rank 23rd in points in the paint per game (43.3) while the Celtics rank 29th (40.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cleveland is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Boston is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Cavaliers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 4.6, up from 0.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 98.0 points per game (5.8 below their season average) and allowed an average of 102.6 points per game (2.0 above their season average).
+++++
