The Cleveland Cavaliers (2-3) will attempt to extend the series when they square off against the Boston Celtics (3-2) at Quicken Loans Arena in game six of the Eastern Conference Finals. The game can be seen on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday, May 25, 2018.
Cleveland opened as a 7-point favorite, while the Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 201.5 points.
Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Prediction
In game five, Tatum recorded 24 points and seven rebounds and the Celtics defeated the Cavaliers 96-83, covering as 1.5-point favorites. The game finished with a total of 179 points, which was 25.5 points below the projected point total of 204.5 points. The Celtics had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (16.3 vs. 7.3) and had a much better turnover percentage (7.8 vs. 15.4).
The game should be a battle of strength against strength as the high-octane offense of Cleveland takes on the stingy defense of Boston. The Cavaliers rank fifth in offensive efficiency, while the Celtics are second in defensive efficiency.
Boston heads into the game with records of 66-33 straight up (SU) and 60-35-4 against the spread (ATS). Celtics games have a slight tendency to go over the projected point total (51.5 percent).
Cleveland is 60-38 SU, but they are just 38-58-2 ATS. Contrary to Boston, games featuring the Cavaliers have a slight tendency to finish under the O/U total (51.0 percent).
The Cavaliers are 13-8 with 11 unders, nine overs and one push in the playoffs, while the Celtics are 3-3 ATS with five unders and one over
Terry Rozier has averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists over the last five games for Boston.
Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers Pick
NBA Prediction: SU Winner – Cavaliers, ATS Winner – Celtics, O/U – Under
Click Here to Start Betting Today!
Notes
Betting Notes:
Boston is 30-18 ATS on the road with 25 unders, 22 overs and 1 push.
Cleveland is 16-32-1 ATS at home with 26 unders, 22 overs and 1 push.
Boston is 42-6 when they hold opponents under 100 points, while Cleveland is 20-6.
When scoring above 100 points, the Cavaliers are 57-18 and the Celtics are 51-15.
Boston ranks fourth in assists allowed per game (21.4) while Cleveland ranks 27th (25.1).
The Celtics rank ninth in three pointers allowed per game (27.6) while the Cavaliers rank 28th (31.0).
Boston ranks 11th in rebounds per game (44.1) while Cleveland ranks 25th (41.8).
The Celtics rank third in second chance points allowed per game (11.0) while the Cavaliers rank 15th (12.8).
Cleveland ranks 15th in fast break points per game (11.8) while Boston ranks 26th (9.6).
The Celtics rank fourth in steals allowed per game (7.0) while the Cavaliers rank 11th (7.3).
Boston ranks 19th in blocks per game (4.5) while Cleveland ranks 26th (3.9).
The Cavaliers rank 23rd in points in the paint per game (43.3) while the Celtics rank 29th (40.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Boston is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Cleveland is 2-3 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over over their last five games.
The Celtics’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 2.4, down from 3.3 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 97.4 points per game (11.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 99.8 points per game (8.7 below their season average).
xxxxx