Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Prediction, Preview, and Odds

On Tuesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers head to TD Garden for a road meeting against the Boston Celtics. The Cavaliers play the Orlando Magic on Monday night. The Celtics paced the New York Knicks 133-123 on Friday. The tip is at 7:40 PM ET. Boston opens as a home favorite.

Cavaliers in Action Monday

Cleveland is in action Monday night against the Orlando Magic and will be on the second leg of a back-to-back. On Friday evening they defeated the Miami Heat 111-99. Donovan Mitchell had 27 points and 13 rebounds and Darius Garland dropped 18. Cleveland played without Evan Mobley, who had left knee soreness. It was Mobley’s first game missed this season and only the fourth he’s missed in Cleveland’s last 111 games, including playoffs. 

Mobley is questionable for this back-to-back set. J.B. Bickerstaff was pleased with his team’s competitive nature. “We keep talking about the same thing,” Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said to Associated Press reporters. "Every night, we can control whether or not we’re the best team on the floor. Are we the most competitive? Are we the most selfless? And when the guys do that, the talent rises.” Cleveland is 13-3 this season when holding teams under 120 points. They are 0-6 when teams score at least 120. The Cavaliers outrebounded Miami 51-37. Considering this is a back-to-back, they may opt to rest either Darius Garland or Donovan Mitchell. Cleveland is 24th in offensive rating heading into this game, but expect that to rise as they get healthier steadily.

Porzingis Returns, Celtics Win

Boston improved to an Eastern Conference-leading 16-5 record as they vaulted past the New York Knicks 133-123 on Friday night.  The Celtics shot 58.3% and led 74-65 at halftime, with the Knicks backups closing the gap in the fourth quarter to make the score more presentable. Derrick White scored 30 points and Kristaps Porzingis had 21 in his return to the lineup after missing four games with a strained left calf. 

The new Celtics big man wasted little time getting going offensively, scoring Boston’s first eight points with a dunk and consecutive 3-pointers. Jayson Tatum added 25 points, six rebounds and five assists. Celtics forward Jaylen Brown scored 17 points before he was ejected after getting two technical fouls midway into the final quarter. “To be honest with you I don't know,” Brown said when asked why he was tossed. “For my first career ejection, I thought some guy would punk it up, go to the ground and not some over-emotional ref who had a bad day." They have yet to lose a home game, improving to 10-0 at TD Garden with the victory. They get Cleveland on a back-to-back after having five days of rest. 

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Cleveland is in action Monday against the Orlando Magic and will be on the second leg of a back-to-back. The Cavaliers played a strong game against the Miami Heat on Friday, keeping them under 100 in a 111-99 win. Darius Garland played 26 minutes in Friday’s win, compiling 18 points (6-of-11 FGs, 5-of-7 FTs), two rebounds, six assists, four steals, and one 3-pointer. Early foul trouble put Garland on the bench for all but 18 minutes of the first half, and he contributed just four points, one assist, and one steal. He was much better after halftime. Considering this is a back-to-back, the Cavaliers may sit Garland or Mitchell, but Evan Mobley is back in the lineup. Regardless, the Celtics will have five days of rest, and come out springy in what should be another home blowout win. Take Boston.

Prediction: Boston Celtics

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Boston is sixth in offensive rating entering this showdown with Cleveland. They are 20th in pace but will have fresh legs after a long lay-off from the in-season tournament. Donovan Mitchell had 27 points and 13 rebounds the other night and Darius Garland dropped 18 against the slow-moving Heat. Although Cleveland has historically played slow, they are pushing the tempo more in 2023. Cleveland is 24th in offensive rating heading into this game, but expect that to rise as they get healthier steadily. I like this to be an uptempo game between two of the most exciting teams in the Eastern Conference. Take the over.

Prediction: OVER

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