The Cleveland Cavaliers host a showdown against the Boston Celtics at Quicken Loans Arena. Action begins at 3:00 pm ET on Sunday, Apr. 19 and can be seen on ABC.
The Cavaliers played well in their last game, topping the Wizards 113-108 on Wednesday. Matthew Dellavedova was a key piece, recording his second double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 assists. The Celtics, meanwhile, are coming off a 105-100 win against the Bucks on Wednesday. Luigi Datome led the game in scoring by accounting for 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
Isaiah Thomas has upped his play over the last five games for the Celtics, averaging 20.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 2.8 three-pointers.
It’s a matchup of two different tempos, as the up-and-down Celtics (ranked fifth in the NBA in possessions per game) square off against the methodical Cavaliers (26th).
Both teams have won a game in the season series. The Celtics had the upper hand in the most recent game, a blowout 117-78 win. Evan Turner had a stellar game with 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists, four steals, and one block.
The odds for Cleveland and Boston are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is currently unavailable. The Cavaliers have gone 53-29 Straight Up (SU) and 40-42 Against The Spread (ATS). They have a solid 7-3 SU record over their last 10 games, but have not faired as well ATS (3-7). The Cavaliers have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 100.3 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 0.0 points per game. Cleveland’s defense has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average points allowed per game rose to 98.3 during that span, compared to its 0.0 season average.
As for their opponent, the Celtics have 40-42 SU and 49-33 ATS records. Boston performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning an 8-2 record. Offensively, the Celtics have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 0.0 points per game by averaging 106.9 during that stretch. The Celtics are an unselfish team with an average of 24.5 assists per game, ranking fourth in the NBA. The Celtics average 0.0 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 100.0 points per game during that span.
With the Celtics’ last win against Cleveland, their SU record is now 6-4 over the Cavaliers in the last 10 meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. In these last 10 matchups, Cleveland held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice, with Boston controlling all three of these areas one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, ATS Winner – CLE
Notes
Boston’s offense and Cleveland’s defense are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per game and points allowed per game respectively. Boston scores an average of 0.0 points per game, while Cleveland allows 0.0 points per game.
Boston and Cleveland are well matched, ranking zeroth in points per away game and points allowed at home respectively. Boston puts up an average of 0.0 points on the road, while Cleveland allows 0.0 points at home on average.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Celtics are 30-6 on the season. When the Cavaliers score fewer than 100, they are a losing 11-24.
The Boston Celtics have a subpar 10-36 record in games where they have allowed at least 100 points. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 42-5 when they hit the century mark.
The Celtics have an offensive rating of 101.8 (ranked 18th), while the Cavaliers rank 17th for their defensive rating of 103.4.
Cleveland has an average field goal percentage of 45.8% (ranked eighth). Boston is an abysmal 8-29 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
Cleveland averages 27.5 three point attempts per game, and Boston attempts 24.6 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Cavaliers have a solid 34-21 record while the Celtics have a 20-18 record.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank 16th with an assist to turnover ratio of 1.62. The Boston Celtics have a higher A/TO (1.85), ranking fourth.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rebound 43.0 times per game and are ranked 18th. Ranked 13th, the Boston Celtics rebound 43.8 times per game.
The Boston Celtics rank 12th in offensive rebounding, while the Cleveland Cavaliers rank 21st in defensive rebounding.
Cleveland averages a forced turnover rate of 13.3% this season. Boston has an 18-24 record when they suffer a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
