The Cleveland Cavaliers are in uncharted waters on Sunday evening against the Boston Celtics, entering that marquee matchup as a betting underdog at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for the first time in 12 home games this regular season.
Here's a spread, moneyline, total, and player prop expert pick for this highly-anticipated rematch on Sunday, December 1 between what's currently not just the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, but the NBA as a whole.
Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Odds
Preview: Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers, 6 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | -1.5 (-110) | -120 | O 233.5 (-108) |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +1.5 (-110) | +102 | U 233.5 (-112) |
Odds as of December 1, 2024 at FanDuel
Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Expert Picks
Boston Celtics ATS -1.5 (-110), Moneyline (-126)
A 15-0 start SU to the campaign feels like an eternity ago for a Cavaliers team that's since dropped three of their last five games, including two in a row to the 9-11 Atlanta Hawks. Cleveland allowed an average of 126 points over those two losses, and now has to try and contain the No. 1 offense in basketball that's both attempting and converting the most 3-pointers of any team.
The latter fact should be extra troublesome for the Cavaliers, as they're allowing opponents to shoot 38.5 percent from 3-point range, which is second from the bottom overall. Boston drilled 22 triples in its 120-117 win over Cleveland back on Nov. 19, which marked the Cavaliers' first loss and therefore ended their historic start.
Cleveland will have Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro available unlike over a week ago, but perhaps the biggest difference this time around will be Kristaps Porzingis suiting up for the Celtics. He's another outside threat capable of bringing the likes of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen away from their comfort zone under the basket, and he's been producing through two games averaging 18.5 points and shooting 56.5 percent from the field.
This is the most vulnerable Cleveland has appeared in a hot minute, and while it should step up to its competitor, getting Boston while it's in the midst of a seven-game winning streak is unfortunate timing. The Celtics have failed to cover in their last road games, but the narrow 1.5-point spread is basically the equivalent of wagering the moneyline, and there's little reason to doubt Boston's chances here.
OVER 233.5 Points (-108)
With the prior meeting hitting the OVER with 237 points, and the Cavaliers' defense allowing Atlanta to get whatever it wanted and then some offensively, on top of Boston's potent outside attack, this prop is just screaming an OVER wager.
Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Player Prop
Darius Garland OVER 19.5 Points (-106)
Had Garland converted just two more shots of the 18 he missed the last time he took on the Celtics, Cleveland's winning streak wouldn't have come to an abrupt end. He converted 3-of-21 from the field that evening for eight points in 31 minutes, missing all six of his attempts from long range.
Garland averages more points than any of his teammates on their home floor, producing 22.5 points and 7.4 assists in his 10 appearances. He's also shooting 51.7 percent since the game versus Boston, and coming off a 29-point performance on 19 shots against Atlanta, with the memories of Nov. 19 still lingering, Garland will want to make an impact on Sunday and be gunning for an OVER.
Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Trends
- Caris LeVert has exceeded 16.5 points + rebounds + assists in five of his last six games at home (21.2 points + rebounds + assists/game average).
- Evan Mobley has failed to exceed 1.5 blocks in seven of his last nine games (1.1 blocks/game average).
- Darius Garland has failed to exceed 6.5 assists in 12 of his last 15 games vs. top-10 defenses for assists allowed (5.6 assists/game average).
*all betting trends courtesy of Outlier
