Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics Betting Prediction

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With a trip to the NBA Finals on the line, the Cleveland Cavaliers (3-3) will travel to TD Garden to take on the Boston Celtics (3-3) in game seven of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics opened as 2-point favorites. The games Over/Under (O/U) opened at 200 points and it will air on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 27, 2018.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics ATS Odds

In game six, James led the Cavaliers to a 109-99 victory. He registered a double-double with 46 points and 11 rebounds. The two teams combined to put up 208 points, which was over the projected point total of 202, and Cleveland covered as a 6.5-point favorite. Cleveland won the rebounding battle. The Cavaliers had 15 offensive rebounds and 44 total rebounds, while the Celtics had five and 31, respectively.

Boston may have trouble getting to the foul line in this contest. The Celtics rank 17th in the NBA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.193, while Cleveland ranks second in FTA rate allowed (0.171). Also, the Cavaliers rank fifth in offensive efficiency (110.6), while the Celtics rank second in defensive efficiency (102.8).

Just over half of the Cavaliers games have finished under the projected point total. Cleveland is 61-38 straight up (SU), but they have difficulty covering the spread (39-58-2 against the spread (ATS)).

Unlike Cleveland, games including the Celtics have a slight tendency to finish over the O/U total (52.0 percent). Further, Boston is 66-34 SU and 60-36-4 ATS.

The Cavaliers are 13-8 ATS with 11 unders, nine overs and one push in the playoffs. The Celtics, meanwhile, are 3-3 with five unders and one over,

Terry Rozier has taken his game to another level recently for Boston, averaging 12.6 points, 5.8 assists, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals over the last five games.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Betting Pick

Prediction: SU Winner – Cavaliers, ATS Winner – Cavaliers, O/U – Under

Betting Notes:

  • The Cavaliers rank 23rd in points in the paint per game (43.3) while the Celtics rank 29th (40.2).
  • Boston ranks fourth in assists allowed per game (21.3) while Cleveland ranks 27th (25.1).
  • 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).
  • Cleveland ranks third in blocks allowed per game (4.1) while Boston ranks 10th (4.7).
  • The Celtics rank ninth in three pointers allowed per game (27.6) while the Cavaliers rank 28th (31.0).
  • The Celtics rank fourth in steals allowed per game (7.0) while the Cavaliers rank 11th (7.3).
  • Boston ranks third in second chance points allowed per game (11.1) while Cleveland ranks 15th (12.7).
  • Cleveland is 21-6 when they allow under 100 points, while Boston is 42-6.
  • When reaching 100 points, the Celtics are 51-15 and the Cavaliers are 58-18.
  • Cleveland is 22-26-1 ATS on the road, while Boston is 30-17-4 ATS at home.
  • The total has gone over in 29 of the Celtics 51 home games, while 25 of the Cavaliers 49 road games have gone over.

Betting Trends:

  • In their last five games, Cleveland and Boston have both had 3 unders and 2 overs.
  • The Cavaliers are 3-2 ATS over their last five games, while the Celtics are 2-3.
  • During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 102.6 points per game (6.7 below their season average) and allowed an average of 98.0 points per game (10.4 below their season average).
  • The Celtics have been outscored by an average of 4.6 points in their last five games. For the season, Boston has defeated opponents by an average of 3.2 points.