December 14, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) reacts after his three-point basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
- Two of the best teams in the East will face off on Tuesday when the Boston Celtics visit the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Boston has NBA’s best 11-game winning streak while Cleveland misses Donovan Mitchell
- See Celtics vs. Cavaliers odds, player props and predictions for March 5
What was supposed to be a heavyweight title between the Boston Celtics (48-12, 19-9 away, 30-27-3 ATS) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (39-21, 20-11 home, 29 -29-2 ATS) Tuesday night lost some of its luster as the Cavs’ leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell, was sidelined with a knee injury.
Without Mitchell, Cleveland looked like a shell of itself in Sunday’s loss to the Knicks, and bettors took note: Boston is listed as a heavy eight-point favorite on the road in Celtics vs. Cavaliers odds for Tuesday’s game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (7:40 p.m.). AND).
Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers odds
| Team | Spread | Money line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -8 (-110) | -320 | Over 215.5 (-110) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +8 (-110) | +260 | Under 215.5 (-110) |
Boston is also a -320 favorite on the moneyline on Tuesday. NBA Odds with the Cavs coming back to +260 to pull off the upset at home. The game total of 215.5 is the second lowest among Tuesday’s nine games. (Orlando vs. Charlotte sits at just 207.5.)
Odds as of March 5 on FanDuel. Download the FanDuel app in North Carolina.
Boston currently sits nine games ahead of Milwaukee for the East’s top seed in the NBA playoff bracket. Cleveland is the No. 3 seed, 3.5 games ahead of No. 4 New York and one behind the Bucks.
Cavaliers offense in shambles without Mitchell
While Cleveland is still one game above .500 without Mitchell (28.0 PPG, 6.2 APG, 5.4 RPG) in the lineup this season (7-6), they are just 1-3 without him in the calendar year 2024 and their only victory came. against the Detroit Pistons.
On February 22, they lost seven points at home against Orlando (116-109); the following night, they lost by seven on the road to Philadelphia (104-97); and on Sunday, they lost by nine at home against the Knicks (107-98).
With Caris LeVert (14.1 PPG, 4.7 APG) also out of the lineup, rarely used Sam Merrill (8.1 PPG) led the team in scoring with 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting. three.
At best, Cleveland is a defensive team with a mediocre offense (15th in O-Rating). With Mitchell sidelined, their problems on that end of the floor are compounded exponentially.
LeVert (elbow) is questionable to return tonight, but Max Strus (12.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.8 APG) is out with a knee strain and Isaac Okoro (9.4 PPG, 3.0 RPG ) is questionable due to a sprained elbow.
The Celtics keep humming
Boston extended its winning streak Sunday with its most dominant performance of the season: a 140-88 rout of Golden State at TD Garden. The 52-point victory margin was the third largest in the franchise’s long history.
All-stars Jayson Tatum (27 points, five assists) and Jaylen Brown (29 points, three assists) nearly scored 30 points while playing just 25 and 22 minutes respectively. As a team, Boston shot 55.2% from the field and an outrageous 51% from three. 49 attempts.
Their defense was just as good, limiting the Warriors to 39.1% from the field and just 17.1% from beyond the arc (7 of 41).
The C’s were already first in the NBA in Offensive Rating before the demolition of the Warriors. At 121.7, they are now 1.6 points ahead of second-place Indiana. Their D rating, meanwhile, improved to 110.2, putting it just behind Minnesota (108).
Boston’s net rating (+11.6) is four points higher than any other team in the league. OKC is second with +7.6. The gap between the Celtics and the Thunder is larger than the gap between the Thunder and the ninth-ranked Knicks (+4.0).
BOS vs. CLE Player Accessories
| Player | Points | Rebounds | Aids | Three pointers made |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Garland (CLE) | 21.5 (Ov -135 | A +105) | 2.5 (Ov -135 | A +105) | 6.5 (Ov -140 | A +110) | 3.5 (Ov +135 | Un -175) |
| Evan Mobley (CLE) | 15.5 (Ov -120 | Un -110) | 9.5 (Ov -130 | Un -100) | 3.5 (Ov -100 | Un -130) | 0.5 (Ov +175 | Un-230) |
| Jarrett Allen (CLE) | 16.5 (Ov -120 | A -110) | 10.5 (Ov -130 | Un -100) | 2.5 (Ov -115 | A -115) | DISABLED |
| Jaylen Brown (BOS) | 21.5 (Ov -125 | A -105) | 5.5 (Ov -115 | A -115) | 2.5 (Ov -160 | A +124) | 1.5 (Ov -145 | A +114) |
| Jayson Tatum (BOS) | 28.5 (Ov -110 | A -120) | 8.5 (Ov -125 | A -105) | 4.5 (Ov -150 | Un +120) | 3.5 (Ov +120 | Un -150) |
| Kristaps Porzingis (BOS) | 18.5 (Ov -135 | A +105) | 6.5 (Ov -115 | A -115) | DISABLED | 1.5 (Ov -125 | A -105) |
Player props as of March 5 at DraftKings. See the latest news on DraftKings North Carolina Promotion ahead of the launch on March 11.
With Mitchell out of the lineup, Darius Garland, the team’s second-leading scorer at 18.4 PPG, has a team-high 21.5 points total. Tatum is listed with the highest total for C’s at 28.5 as well as a high plus/minus on triples at 3.5.
Celtics vs Cavaliers Prediction
Cleveland’s offense has been a complete disaster for most of the last two weeks. Now, Strus and perhaps Okoro join Mitchell in street clothes as the remaining skeleton team must face the second-best defense in the league.
I expect coach JB Bickerstaff to try to make this a slow, methodical, low-possession game, relying on Cleveland’s third defense to try to stay close.
BOS vs. CLE choice: Under 215.5 (-110)
Sascha Paruk’s 2023-24 NBA Betting Record:
- 17-21 moneyline (+4.06 units)
- 17-17-2 ATS (-0.41 units)
- Accessories for 7 to 12 players (-6.82 units)
- 0-3 parlay in the same game (-3.00 units)
All bets are one unit unless expressly stated otherwise
