cavaliers vs celtics nba prediction
PublishedDecember 12, 2023,            Posted By: Maria Uebelhor
Last updated:December 12, 2023 ,

NBA: Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Prediction 12/12/2023

The Cleveland Cavaliers (13-10) travel to face off against the Boston Celtics (16-5) on Tuesday, December 12th. This game will be played at TD Garden in TD Garden and televised on NBCS. The Celtics are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Cavaliers are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Knicks. Tip-off is set for 7:30 ET.

Cavaliers vs Celtics

The Cavaliers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

In their latest game against the Magic, Darius Garland was the top scorer for the Cavaliers’ offense, scoring 36 points and shooting 11/23 from the field. Donovan Mitchell put up 22 points which was 2nd on the team, but it wasn’t enough as Cleveland ended up losing the game with a final score of 104-94.

When playing on the road, the Cavaliers have gone 7-4 this season and are 6-6 at home. In their last three games, the Cavaliers are 2-1 and have an overall record of 13-10.

So far, Cleveland is below .500 in their ATS record, currently standing at 9-13. On the road, the Cavaliers have an ATS record of 5-5 compared to a 4-8 record vs. the spread at home.

The Celtics Are Coming Off A Win

The Celtics notched a win against the Knicks in their most recent game, concluding with a score of 133-123. the Celtics not only secured a victory straight-up but also did so while covering the spread as -7.5-point favorites. The over/under line heading into this matchup was 221 points in which the two teams surpassed.

Coming into today’s games, the Celtics have an overall record of 16-5 and have gone 2-1 in their last three games. At home, the Celtics are 10-0 this season while going 6-5 on the road.

Boston comes in with an overall ATS record of 9-11 so far this season. When playing on the road, the Celtics hold an ATS record of 2-8 in contrast to a 7-3 record against the spread when playing at home.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

This season, the Cleveland offense is ranked 24th in the NBA in scoring at 110.5 points per game. Coming into today’s game, the Cavaliers will be looking to improve their 3-point shooting numbers, as they are averaging just 11.1 made 3’s per game. If the Cleveland offense is going to turn things around, not only do they need to improve their outside shooting but they must do a better job protecting the ball. Currently, they are averaging 14 turnovers per game.

Celtics Offense Breakdownboston celtics

The Celtics come into today’s game as one of the better scoring teams in the NBA at 117.3 points per game (7th). So far, the Celtics are averaging 98.3 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. Even though they have preferred to slow the game down, the Boston offense is the 20th ranked team in made field goals per game.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Cleveland’s defense has been playing well, ranking 7th in the NBA with 110.3 points allowed per game.

In the terms of takeaways, Cavaliers are causing 14 turnovers per game, ranking 22nd in the league. They also enter the matchup ranked 17th in rejections, averaging 4.9 blocked shots each game.

Celtics Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Celtics defense has held opposing team’s to fewer points than the league average in 23.8% of their games. Currently, they are 3rd in the NBA at 108.8 points per game allowed.

In terms of two point field goal attempts, the Celtics defense has allowed a shooting percentage of 49.7% while allowing 36.4% from downtown.

Key Players For The Cavaliers And Celtics

In today’s game, we anticipate Donovan Mitchell leading the scoring for the Cavaliers, contributing 15 points while shooting 6/13 from the field. This season, he is averaging 27.3 points per game along with 5.7 boards.

On the opposing side, we anticipate Jayson Tatum to be the top scorer for the Celtics. Our projection has him finishing the game with 16, and he is expected to secure 5 rebounds. For the season, he has a field goal percentage of 49.6% and is averaging 27.5 points per contest.

Cavaliers vs Celtics Trendscleveland cavaliers

  • Across their ten previous road games, Cleveland has an ATS mark of 5-4-1. Their straight up record in these matchups was 6-4 while averaging 111 points per game.
  • When looking at their past three home matchups, Boston has an ATS record of 0-3 while averaging 108 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
  • Through their last five games as the underdog, the Cavaliers have an ATS record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 3-2.
  • Across their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Celtics have an overall record of 2-1 while going 1-2 against the spread.

Cavaliers vs Celtics Prediction

For a point-spread wager in this Celtics vs. Celtics game, we suggest taking the Cavaliers at +10. Even though our predictions have the Celtics winning 111-109, we see the Cavaliers as the better choice on the point-spread.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 223.5 and our model has the Cavaliers and Celtics finishing with a combined 220 points. Our pick is to take the under.

All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.