Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview | December 1, 2024

Boston Celtics (16-3 SU, 8-11 ATS) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (17-3 SU, 14-6 ATS)

When: Sunday, December 1st, 6:00 PM (ET)

Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, OH, Cleveland

TV: NBCS

Point Spread: Bos -1.5/Cle +1.5

Total: 235.5

Money Line: Boston Celtics -122/+102

Notable Injuries

Celtics

• Jrue Holiday (Questionable) Adductor
• Al Horford (Questionable) Toe
• Kristaps Porzingis (Questionable) Lower Leg
• Derrick White (Questionable) Foot

Cavaliers

• Dean Wade (Out) Ankle
• Max Strus (Out) Ankle

In a battle of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics (-122) will travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers (+102) at 6:00 ET. The Celtics (-1.5) have won seven straight games and are 16-3 overall, while the Cavs have dropped two in a row and are 17-3.

This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and can be seen on NBCS. The over/under line for the game is 235.5 points.

Recent Form

Boston improved to 16-3 on the season with a 138-129 win over the Bulls on Friday. The Celtics were favored by 11.5 points but didn’t cover the spread, while the game’s total of 267 points exceeded the O/U line of 244.5 by 22.5 points.

After a strong start, leading 39-30 after the 1st quarter, Boston saw their lead shrink as the Bulls went on a 10-0 run. Chicago took the 2nd quarter 37-28, and the teams were tied at 96 heading into the 4th. Boston pulled away in the final quarter, outscoring the Bulls 42-33.

The Cavaliers fell to 17-3 on the season after a 117-101 road loss to the Hawks on Friday. Cleveland, favored by 5.5 points, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 218 fell well short of the 243.5-point line.

After a competitive first half, the Cavs and Hawks were tied in the 2nd quarter, but Atlanta pulled away in the 3rd, outscoring Cleveland 39-23. The Cavs went into the 4th quarter down 91-73 and couldn’t mount a comeback despite outscoring the Hawks 28-26 in the final period.

The Historicals

Across the last five matchups between the teams, Cleveland has gone 4-1 vs the spread. However, the Celtics actually have a positive scoring margin in these games at +3 points per game. A combined average of 213 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 3-2.

Analysis

The Celtics’ offense was firing on all cylinders in their win over the Bulls, putting up 138 points with a 50% shooting performance. They connected on 23 threes at a 42.6% rate, with Payton Pritchard hitting 7 of them at 63.6% efficiency.

Jayson Tatum led the way with 35 points and 14 rebounds, scoring 13 points in the 3rd quarter. Pritchard added 19 of his 29 points in the 4th, while Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porziņģis each contributed 5 points in the final period.

Even with a shaky defensive performance, the Celtics managed to pull off a win against the Bulls. They gave up 129 points, including 37 in the 2nd quarter, while allowing Chicago to shoot 51% from the field.

Boston also allowed 20 three-pointers on 39% shooting. The Bulls went to the line 16 times, hitting 13 free throws. The Celtics finished with 40 defensive rebounds, giving up five offensive boards, and added six steals.

The Cavaliers struggled offensively in their 117-101 loss to the Hawks, shooting just 40.9% from the field and 28.9% from three-point range, connecting on only 11 threes. Darius Garland led the way with 29 points, hitting five threes at a 62.5% clip while also dishing out five assists.

Evan Mobley contributed 24 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 58.8% from the floor. Donovan Mitchell had a tough night, shooting 21.7% overall and 20% from deep, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds.

Defensively, the Cavaliers had a strong 2nd quarter, giving up just 23 points, but they struggled in the 3rd, allowing 39 points, which contributed to their 117-101 loss to the Hawks. Cleveland’s defense allowed Atlanta to shoot 51% from the field.

The Cavaliers also gave up 14 three-pointers on 41% shooting. They sent the Hawks to the line 18 times, where Atlanta made 15 free throws. Cleveland finished with 29 defensive rebounds, gave up ten offensive boards, and recorded nine steals.

Betting Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Boston has been good against the spread, posting a mark of 3-2. Their overall mark in these games was 5-0, while averaging 124 points per game.
• Although Cleveland has a straight-up record of 3-2 in their last five home games, they have not held up as well vs. the spread going 2-3. The team averaged 116 points per game in these games.
• The Cavaliers have played well in their last three games as the betting underdog, going 2-1 straight up and 3-0 against the spread.
• Over the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Celtics struggled vs the spread going just 1-2. However, they still had a straight-up mark of 3-0.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Since the Celtics handed the Cavaliers their first loss, the Cavs have lost two more games, and each team has three losses so far this season. Heading into this one, the Cavaliers are +1.5 point underdogs, and a key thing to watch is the health of Jrue Holiday. His defense is crucial against Cleveland’s excellent guard play. I like the Cavs to win tonight’s matchup, and am taking them on the money line.