The Boston Celtics (1-0) take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1) at TD Garden in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals. The game will air on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 15, 2018.
Boston is a 1-point favorite on the opening line, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) opened at 202.5 points.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Betting Prediction
In game one, Morris recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds and the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 108-83, covering as 1-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 191 points, which was 12.5 points below the projected point total of 203.5 points. Boston had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.577 vs. 0.384). Cleveland, meanwhile, did a fantastic job of making free throws (17-20; 85.0 percent).
Points at the line might be scarce for Boston in this showdown. The Celtics currently rank 18th in the league with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.191, while Cleveland ranks second in FTA rate allowed (0.168). Furthermore, the fifth-ranked offense of the Cavaliers (offensive efficiency of 110.8) will go head-to-head against the second-ranked defense of the Celtics (defensive efficiency of 102.6).
Cleveland is 58-36 straight up (SU), but they struggle covering the spread (36-56-2 against the spread (ATS)). Cavaliers games have no tendency in regards to the total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under.
Meanwhile, Boston is 64-31 SU and 58-33-4 ATS. In opposition of Cleveland, games including the Celtics have gone over the total 52.6 percent of the time.
The Celtics are 3-3 with five unders and one over in the playoffs. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 13-8 ATS with 11 unders, nine overs and one push
Terry Rozier and Jayson Tatum have been playing well over the last five games for Boston. Rozier has averaged 19.0 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Not to be outdone, Tatum has recorded 23.6 points and 3.2 assists a game during that span.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics ATS Pick
Prediction: SU Winner – Celtics, ATS Winner – Celtics, O/U – Over
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Cleveland is 22-24-1 ATS with 25 overs and 22 unders.
At home, Boston is 28-17-4 ATS with 29 overs and 20 unders.
When allowing less than 100 points, Boston is 40-6 and Cleveland is 19-5.
The Cavaliers are 55-18 when they reach the century mark, while the Celtics are 50-14.
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 Celtics rank third in second chance points allowed per game (11.0) while the Cavaliers rank 16th (12.8).
Cleveland ranks 14th in fast break points per game (12.0) while Boston ranks 27th (9.6).
The Celtics rank 18th in blocks per game (4.6) while the Cavaliers rank 27th (3.8).
Boston ranks fifth in steals allowed per game (7.1) while Cleveland ranks 11th (7.3).
The Cavaliers rank 23rd in points in the paint per game (43.4) while the Celtics rank 29th (40.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cleveland is 3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
Boston is 4-1 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 6.2, up from 0.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 104.6 points per game (0.5 above their season average) and allowed an average of 99.8 points per game (0.7 below their season average).
xxxxx
