Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics Free NBA Playoff Pick - Betting Odds

Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics Free NBA Playoff Pick - Betting Odds

David Schwab
Date: May 17, 8:30 pm
Location: TD Gardens
TV: TNT

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Cleveland -3.5
Total: 219.5

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The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics kick off play in this season’s Eastern Conference Finals this Wednesday night at TD Garden in Game 1 of this best-of-seven series. Tip-off for this series opener set for 8:30 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
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Cleveland at Boston Game Overview<br />
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Cleveland has played a grand total of just eight games in this season’s playoffs with back-to-back four-game sweeps against Indiana and Toronto. It has gone 4-2-2 against the spread during this run and the total has gone OVER the closing betting line in six of those eight games. The Cavaliers will start this series on the road with a 2-0-2 record ATS in the postseason.
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While wear and tear will not be an issue for Cleveland given the low amount of games it has played since mid-April, rust could be a factor in Game 1 with its last victory coming on May 7 against Toronto to complete that series sweep. LeBron James has been a huge factor in the Cavaliers’ early success in the postseason with a team-high 34.4 points and 7.1 assists through eight games. Kyrie Irving is averaging 23.8 points and Kevin Love rounds out Cleveland’s power trio with 13.8 points and 9.1 rebounds a game. The Cavaliers have averaged 114.5 points through their first two playoff series.
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It took Boston the full seven games to get past Washington in the conference semifinals and its perfect four-game run (both SU and ATS) at home in this series was capped off by Monday’s 115-105 victory as a five-point favorite in that deciding Game 7 showdown. The total went OVER the closing 211-point line in that game and it has gone OVER in five of the Celtics’ last seven games. They are now a perfect 5-0 both SU and ATS in their last five home games.
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Isaiah Thomas turned in another clutch performance in the postseason on Monday night with a team-high 29 points and 12 assists. Kelly Olynyk added 26 points off the bench and Boston, as a team, shot an impressive 53.2 percent from the field and it connected on 11 of its 26 shots from three-point range. The Celtics are averaging 107.1 points per game in the postseason and that average jumps to 119.6 points in their last five games at home.
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Cleveland at Boston Game Betting Trends<br />
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The Cavaliers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games in this round of the playoffs and the total has gone OVER in 13 of their last 19 games in the conference finals.
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The Celtics are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games and 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on one day’s rest. The total has gone OVER or ended as a PUSH in their last eight home games.
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Head-to-head in this Eastern Conference tilt, the road team is 7-2-1 ATS in the last 10 meetings and the total has stayed UNDER in the last six meetings in Boston.
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Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics Prediction

Cleveland has been perfect in these playoffs SU and it has also been a pretty good bet ATS, but I do believe that a 10-day layoff could have an impact on its performance in this series opener. The Celtics may be battling a bit of fatigue on their end following that extended series against the Wizards, but they have all the momentum in their corner playing Game 1 at home.

If Boston is going to have any chance at keeping this series close, it knows it needs to win Game 1 to gain that early edge and I like its chances to get it done with the SU victory on Wednesday night.

Free Pick: Take the Celtics Straight Up
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