The Boston Celtics (2-2) meet the Cleveland Cavaliers (2-2) at TD Garden in game five of the Eastern Conference Finals. The game can be seen on ESPN at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 206 points with Boston opening as a 1-point favorite.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics ATS Prediction
James scored a game-high 44 points in game four, in which the Cavaliers beat the Celtics 111-102, covering as 7-point favorites. He also had five rebounds. The game finished with a total of 213 points, which was 8.5 points above the projected point total of 204.5 points. The Cavaliers’ offensive rebounding percentage was their biggest advantage over the Celtics. Cleveland had a rate of 24.3, while Boston posted a mark of 19.1.
Getting to the line might be hard to find for Boston in this contest. The Celtics rank 17th in the NBA with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.193, while Cleveland ranks second in FTA rate allowed (0.170). Moreover, the fifth-ranked offense of the Cavaliers (offensive efficiency of 110.7) will face off against the second-ranked defense of the Celtics (defensive efficiency of 102.8).
Cleveland has a respectable 60-37 straight up (SU) record, but they are just 38-57-2 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the Cavaliers have a slight tendency to finish under the projected point total (50.5 percent).
Meanwhile, Boston owns records of 65-33 SU and 59-35-4 ATS. In opposition of Cleveland, a little over half of Celtics games have finished over the total.
For the playoffs, the Cavaliers are 13-8 ATS with 11 unders, nine overs and one push while the Celtics are 3-3 with five unders and one over
Terry Rozier has averaged 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists over the last five games for Boston.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Betting Pick
Pick: SU Winner – Celtics, ATS Winner – Celtics, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Cleveland is 22-25-1 ATS with 25 overs and 23 unders.
Boston is 29-17-4 ATS at home with 29 overs and 21 unders.
In games where they allow below 100 points, Boston is 41-6 and Cleveland is 20-5.
The Celtics are 51-15 when they reach 100 points, while the Cavaliers are 57-18.
Boston ranks fourth in assists allowed per game (21.4) while Cleveland ranks 28th (25.2).
The Celtics rank eighth 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 Cavaliers rank 14th in fast break points per game (11.9) while the Celtics rank 27th (9.6).
Boston ranks third in second chance points allowed per game (11.1) while Cleveland ranks 15th (12.8).
The Celtics rank fourth in steals allowed per game (7.1) while the Cavaliers rank 11th (7.3).
Boston ranks 20th in blocks per game (4.5) while Cleveland ranks 27th (3.8).
The Cavaliers rank 23rd in points in the paint per game (43.4) while the Celtics rank 29th (40.3).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cleveland is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Boston is 3-2 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Cavaliers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 7.2, up from 1.0 for the season.
During their last five games, the Celtics have scored an average of 103.4 points per game (0.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 103.2 points per game (2.5 above their season average).
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