The 4-seed Cavaliers head back to Boston to face the 1-seed Celtics on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM ET on TNT. It’s Game 5 of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. Can the Cavaliers cover the 14.5-point spread as road underdogs? Keep reading for our Cavaliers vs. Celtics betting prediction.
Boston leads the series 3-1.
The Cleveland Cavaliers went 48-34 straight up in the regular season and are 5-6 straight up in the postseason this year. The Cavs are 43-48-2 ATS this season.
The Boston Celtics went 64-18 straight up in the regular season and are 7-2 straight up in the postseason this year. The Celtics are 47-39-5 ATS this season.
Cavaliers vs. Celtics Matchup & Betting Odds
521 Cleveland Cavaliers (+14.5) at 522 Boston Celtics (-14.5); o/u 204.5
7:00 p.m. ET, Wednesday, May 15, 2024
TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: TNT
Cavaliers vs. Celtics Public Betting Information
Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 74% of public bettors are currently backing the Cavaliers when it comes to the spread. This information is subject to change throughout the day, however, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Cleveland Cavaliers Daily Fantasy Spin
Cavaliers shooting guard Donovan Mitchell missed his team’s last game with a strained left calf. He’s listed as questionable for Wednesday’s game with that same ailment. Mitchell is averaging 29.6 points per game in 10 postseason contests this year.
Cleveland center Jarrett Allen (ribs), and shooting guard Caris LeVert (knee) are also both questionable for Game 5 in Boston. Allen has been out since April 27th and is averaging 17.0 points per game in the playoffs this year.
Cavs shooting guard Ty Jerome (ankle) will sit out Wednesday and guard Craig Porter is officially listed as doubtful to play in Game 5. Porter is nursing a left ankle sprain that has kept him sidelined since April 14th.
Boston Celtics Daily Fantasy Spin
Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis will sit out Wednesday’s home date with the Cavaliers. He’s still recovering from a right calf strain and will likely be out for the rest of this series. Porzingis is averaging 12.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in 4 playoff contests this year.
With Porzingis out of commission, Boston has been starting Al Horford at center and backing him up with Luke Kornet. Horford is averaging 7.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per contest in 27.9 minutes per game during these playoffs.
Cavaliers vs. Celtics NBA Betting Trends
Cleveland is 20-25-1 ATS as the road team this season.
Cleveland is 16-20 ATS as an underdog this season.
Boston is 25-19-2 ATS as the home team this season.
Boston is 46-37-5 ATS as a favorite this season.
Cavaliers vs. Celtics NBA Prediction:
The injury report will likely loom large over this game. Cleveland could potentially be without two of their best three guards in Donovan Mitchell and Caris LeVert. Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen is questionable as well, and he hasn’t played since April 27th. For those reasons, it’s worth monitoring the Cavaliers’ injury report all the way up to game time.
Boston is the superior team to Cleveland in nearly every way, and a few numbers illustrate that fact. The Celtics are 6-3 ATS in playoff games this season while the Cavs are 5-6 ATS during the 2024 postseason. Boston is 22-20-3 ATS when playing an opponent on equal rest this season. Cleveland is 22-29-1 ATS in that same scenario this year. And finally, Boston is 25-19-2 ATS as a home favorite this year, while Cleveland is 11-15 ATS as a road underdog in 2024. I think Boston takes care of business on Wednesday night and ends the series in emphatic blowout fashion. I’m laying the points with the Celts in this one.
