Cavaliers vs. Celtics Predictions, Picks & Odds: NBA on ESPN, 2/28

Following a smashing 40-point defeat over the Orlando Magic back on Tuesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers are back in action to try and prove themselves as true title contenders by taking on the Boston Celtics. As we get set for the showdown at TD Garden, we’ve got our top Cavaliers vs. Celtics predictions for you.
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Cavaliers vs. Celtics Predictions For NBA On ESPN, 2/28
While the Cavs will be riding high following their blowout win, we expect the Celtics to be as motivated as ever with their recent defeat by the hands of the Detroit Pistons. Truthfully, it almost looked as though it was the case of overlooking their competition, as the Pistons simply looked like the team with more effort throughout the game.
Now facing a team in what is the most likely Eastern Conference Finals matchup, we’re quite certain that’s not the Boston that we’ll see tonight. Along with it being a featured ESPN matchup, this should have the feel of a tense playoff series for both teams.
It’s also a matchup that makes Cavaliers vs. Celtics predictions quite difficult, as both teams are quite balanced and have depth. While Cleveland is on an eight-game winning streak, it’s worth noting that their last loss came against the Celtics, so perhaps there is a bit of a r revenge factor at play.
Regardless, this is the fourth and final meeting between the Eastern Conference’s best teams this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Contenders Or Pretenders
Ok, pretenders is a bit dramatic, because at this point, even fans who don’t think that the Cavs are the best team in the Eastern Conference can recognize that they aren’t complete pretenders. They’ve had the best record in the conference all season, even if they have longer odds (+650 at BetMGM) to win the NBA Finals than the Celtics (+210 at BetMGM).
As mentioned, they’re coming off a massive 40-point win over the Magic, which is also set to be a playoff team. That game came on the road as well, and following it, Cleveland now has a whopping +677-point differential, which is behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder as the best in the NBA.
Boston Celtics: Catching The Cavs
The Celtics haven’t been off the court since Tuesday like the Cavs, but they aren’t on a back-to-back either. Even falling to the Pistons on Wednesday night, their point differential is just one spot behind Cleveland with an impressive +522.
That loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Boston, but even with that being the case, making it an even longer and more difficult road ahead to catching the Cavs for the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference, as they still sit 6.5 games behind in the standings. So, two wins over the Cavs this month alone would certainly be significant in their hopes of catching them.
Cavaliers vs. Celtics Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines
Even with Boston coming off that loss and Cleveland looking so strong, the Cavaliers vs. Celtics odds at BetMGM Sportsbook still have this game expected to be as tight as ever:
- Point Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers +2 (-110) vs. Boston Celtics -2 (-110)
- Money Line: Cleveland Cavaliers (+120) vs. Boston Celtics (-140)
- Game Total (Over/Under): Over 232.5 (-110) vs. Under 232.5 (-110)
Cavaliers vs. Celtics Best Bet: Boston -2 Points (-110 at BetMGM Sportsbook)
We noted that both the Cavs and Celtics are very balanced teams, as they are both capable of finding the bottom of the net while preventing the opposition from doing so. However, there is one specific aspect of the game that we think will be the deciding factor.
That would be the results from behind the arc. That is far from an outside-the-box aspect to focus on, but it’s where we expect the Celtics to be able to bounce back from their demoralizing defeat on Tuesday night.
It’s one that many fans may overlook since the Cavs have the best three-point shooting percentage in the NBA at 39.4%. However, the Celtics actually make more threes per game than any team in the league. So, while their percentage may not be as hot, their volume is so great that they average just a tick under 18 threes per contest.
This is also where Boston has the significant edge over Cleveland. While both teams are solid defensively in terms of raw points allowed, the Celtics’ third-best three-point defense is far better than the Cavs’ 17th-best. In a game that is expected to be as close as ever, just one or two shots from deep can make all the difference.
Therefore, the best bet from our Cavaliers vs. Celtics predictions is Boston -2 (-110 at BetMGM Sportsbook).
Cavaliers vs. Celtics Injury Report & Starting Lineup
Before officially locking in your Cavaliers vs. Celtics picks, make sure you have the latest injury news and starting lineups.
For Cleveland, Darius Garland has been upgraded to only day-to-day after missing Tuesday’s win over the Magic. For Boston, the exact situation is the case for both Jaylen Brown and Luke Kornet.
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