Cavaliers vs. Celtics NBA Betting Odds, Prediction & Trends

The Cleveland Cavaliers remain in Boston to face the Celtics on Thursday night at 7:30 PM ET on NBA TV. Can the Cavaliers cover the 8.5-point spread as road underdogs? Keep reading for our Cavaliers vs. Celtics betting prediction.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 13-11 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 10-12-2 ATS this season.

The Boston Celtics are 17-5 straight up in the regular season this year. They are 9-11-2 ATS this season.

519 Cleveland Cavaliers (+8.5) at 520 Boston Celtics (-8.5); o/u 226.5

7:30 p.m. ET, Thursday, December 14, 2023

TD Garden, Boston, MA

TV: NBA TV

Our NBA Public Betting Information page indicates that 56% of public bettors are currently backing the Celtics 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.

Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley has missed the last three games due to left knee soreness, and he won’t play on Thursday against the Celtics. The big man out of USC is averaging 16.0 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game for Cleveland this year.

Cleveland shooting guard Ty Jerome will also be unavailable on Thursday. He’s working his way back from a right ankle sprain. Jerome has averaged 7.5 minutes per game across 2 contests for the Cavs in 2023.

Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown is questionable to play in Thursday’s game with a left ankle sprain. The 6’6” Cal alum is second on the team in scoring with 22.1 points per game this season and leads the team in steals with 1.2 thefts per contest this season.

Boston small forward Jayson Tatum was terrific in his team’s 120-113 home win over Cleveland on Tuesday night. In that game, the Duke alum led the team in points (25), rebounds (10), and assists (5). He even blocked 2 shots and sunk a pair of three-pointers to round out his stat line and help spur his team to the victory.

Cleveland is 5-4 ATS as an underdog this season.

Cleveland is 5-3-2 ATS after a loss this season.

Boston is 6-9-1 ATS after a win this season.

Boston is 3-6-1 ATS when playing an opponent on equal rest this season.

Boston has yet to lose a game outright at home this season, as they are currently 11-0. But the Celtics might be due for some negative regression on Thursday night. Boston is only 6-7 ATS when playing on 1 day of rest this season and the Celtics are only 4-8 ATS in non-division games this year. The injury status of Jaylen Brown makes this even more of a tenuous spot for the Celts on Thursday.

Cleveland just lost to Boston in the TD Garden 120-113 on Tuesday night, but the Cavs might be due for some positive regression. The Celtics went 26 of 26 from the foul line and shot 40.9% from three-point range in their win on Tuesday. The latter figure is significantly higher than their season-long three-point percentage of 36.6%. Furthermore, the Cavaliers are 10-9-1 ATS in non-division games this season and 8-6-1 ATS when playing an opponent on equal rest this season. For those reasons, I’m backing Cleveland and the points on the road in Boston on Thursday night.