The top two teams in the Eastern Conference square off when the Cleveland Cavaliers battle the Boston Celtics on Friday night. Cleveland is coming off a 122-82 win at Orlando on Tuesday, while Boston dropped a 117-97 decision at Detroit on Wednesday. The Cavaliers (48-10), first in the Eastern Conference and the Central Division, have won eight in a row. The Celtics (42-17), second in the East and first in the Atlantic Division, have won eight of their last 10 games.
Tipoff from TD Garden in Boston is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. Boston has won two of three meetings this season, including a 112-105 decision at Cleveland on Feb. 4. The Celtics are 2.5-point favorites in the latest Cavaliers vs. Celtics odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 232.5. Before making any Cavaliers vs. Celtics picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 19 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 147-106 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning nearly $4,000. It’s also an outstanding 18-10 (64%) on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cavaliers vs. Celtics and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Celtics vs. Cavaliers:
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics spread: Boston -2.5
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics over/under: 232.5 points
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics money line: Boston -140, Cleveland +140
- CLE: The Cavaliers have hit the money line in 49 of their last 62 games (+30.10 units)
- BOS: The Celtics have hit the team total under in 44 of their last 65 games (+20.30 units)
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Celtics can cover
Small forward Jayson Tatum has been dominant this season. He has registered 26 double-doubles and two triple-doubles on the year. He is coming off a 27-point performance in the loss at Detroit on Wednesday, and a double-double with 19 points and 11 assists in a 111-101 win at Toronto on Tuesday. In 56 games, all starts, he is averaging 26.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.4 minutes.
With shooting guard Jaylen Brown questionable with a thigh injury, Boston may turn to point guard Derrick White for extra offense. White is coming off an 18-point, three-rebound and three-assist effort in Wednesday’s loss at Detroit. He has registered 16 double-doubles and one triple-double this year, including 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 124-104 win at Philadelphia on Feb. 20. In 56 games, all starts, he is averaging 16.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 blocks in 33.6 minutes. See which team to pick here.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Shooting guard Donovan Mitchell powers the Cleveland offense. In 55 games, all starts, he is averaging 24 points, 4.8 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31.1 minutes. He has been dominant in the three games against Boston, averaging 33.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and four assists in 37.3 minutes. In a 129-123 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, he scored 33 points, dished out six assists and grabbed two rebounds.
Point guard Darius Garland missed Tuesday’s game with a hip injury, but he isn’t on the injury report for Friday. Power forward Evan Mobley is another scoring option for the Cavs. In the win over Memphis on Sunday, he registered a near triple-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. He scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Tuesday’s win at Orlando. In 52 games, all starts, he is averaging 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 blocks in 30 minutes. See which team to pick here.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Celtics picks
The model has simulated Celtics vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and the results are in. It is leaning Under the total, projecting 228 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the NBA picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Cavaliers, and which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cavaliers vs. Celtics spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 147-106 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
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