The Cleveland Cavaliers (13-11) travel to face off against the Boston Celtics (17-5) on Thursday, December 14th. This game will be played at TD Garden. 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 Cavaliers. Tip-off is set for 7:30 ET.

Cavaliers vs Celtics

The Cavaliers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Cavaliers’ most recent matchup against the Celtics saw Donovan Mitchell lead the Cavaliers with 29 points while shooting 11/22 from the field. Darius Garland contributed 26 points, but Cleveland lost the game 120-113.

Heading into their matchup with the Celtics, the Cavaliers have an overall record of 13-11. Over their last three games, they are 1-2. Against other Eastern Conference teams, the Cavaliers are 9-6 and are 4-5 in non-conference play.

Cleveland’s ATS record sits below .500 (10-13). Cleveland has gone 5-9 against the spread this season when they are the favorites, and they are 5-4 when playing as underdogs.

The Celtics Are Coming Off A Win

The Celtics clinched a 120-113 win over the Cavaliers in their previous game. Going into the game, the Celtics were favored by -11.5 and their 7 point win was not enough to cover the spread. Before the game, the over/under line was 226 points, and both teams ended up surpassing that mark.

Thus far, the Celtics have gone 17-5 overall and have gone 2-1 in their last three games. At home, Boston is 11-0, while they are 6-5 on the road.

Boston’s ATS record sits below .500 (9-12). Boston has struggled to cover the spread in their last five road games and has an ATS record of 2-8 on the road, while it is 7-4 at home.

Cavaliers Offense Breakdown

Through 24 games the Cavaliers are averaging 110.6 points per contest, placing them 24th in the NBA. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Cavaliers are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.2 per contest. Not only is the team one of the more deliberate units in the NBA, they have yet to find their shooting stroke, ranking just 14th in the league in field goal percentage 14th%.

Celtics Offense Breakdown

Heading into play, the Celtics’ offense is rated 7th in the league in scoring, averaging 117.4 points per contest. When looking at the team’s pace of play, the Celtics are currently below the league average in possessions per game, averaging just 98.2 per contest. Not only is the team one of the more deliberate units in the NBA, they have yet to find their shooting stroke, ranking just 13th in the league in field goal percentage 13th%.

Cavaliers Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Cavaliers defense has held opposing team’s to fewer points than the league average in 33.3% of their games. Currently, they are 7th in the NBA at 110.7 points per game allowed.

When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Cavaliers squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 51.4% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 35.6% from downtown.

Celtics Team Defense

This season, the Celtics defense has been impressive, holding the 4th position in the league while permitting an average of 109.0 points per contest.

On two point field goal attempts, the Celtics’ defensive unit is allowing a field goal percentage of 49.8% and allowing 36.7% from beyond the arc.

Key Players For The Cavaliers And Celtics

Our projections for today’s game indicate that Donovan Mitchell will be the primary scorer for the Cavaliers, with 17 points and going 6/14 from the field. Throughout this season, his average stands at 27.4 points per game, along with 5.7 rebounds.

As for Boston, Jayson Tatum is projected to be the primary scorer for the Celtics. Our forecast has him finishing the game with 17, and adding 5 rebounds. This season, he has put together a field goal percentage of 49.1%, and he is contributing 27.4 points per game on average.

Cavaliers vs Celtics Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 5-4-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 113 points per game in this stretch.
• Through their last three home games, Boston has an ATS record of just 0-3. However, their overall record was 0-3 while averaging 108 points per game.
• Through their last three games as the betting underdog, the Cavaliers have a strong record vs the spread going 2-1. Their straight up mark in these contests is 1-2.
• Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Celtics have a strong record of 4-1. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.

Cavaliers vs Celtics Prediction

For a pick on the point-spread in this Celtics vs. Cavaliers matchup, our bet is to grab the Cavaliers at +8.5. Even though our projections have the Celtics winning 111-108, we see the Cavaliers as the play on the point-spread.

As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 226.5 and our model has the Cavaliers and Celtics finishing with a combined 219 points. Our pick is to take the under.

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

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* 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.