Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics March 1 Betting Preview

The Cavaliers (39-25) will play the Boston Celtics (44-18) on the road at TD Garden. The Cavaliers come into this one having defeated the Toronto Raptors 118-93 in their last outing. Meanwhile, the Celtics fell to the New York Knicks 109-94 in their last game. 

In a potential playoff matchup, the Celtics will look to get back on top after the Cavs won their last two matchups. 

Cavaliers Looking To Take Down Celtics On The Road

On both sides of the court, Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs were dominant as they easily defeated the visiting Toronto Raptors 118-93 on Sunday. Jarrett Allen had 23 points and 11 rebounds, while Mitchell scored 35 points. Be that as it may, the Cavs have struggled on the road, and if they want to win on the road, they will need to continue playing efficiently. 

While they are still six games behind the Celtics and the Bucks, the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference rankings. They are scoring 111.9 points offensively per game, with Mitchell leading with 27.2 points per game.

The Cavs have been hard to beat on the defensive end. They limit their opponents to 106.5 points and 46.6 percent field goal shooting per game. This is the sixth-lowest shooting percentage allowed and the fewest points allowed per game. 

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Celtics Struggle Against Knicks

The Boston Celtics lost to the New York Knicks by a score of 109-94 prior to this game. They struggled on the offensive end of the court, and if they want to win at home, they will need to play much better against an even more competitive team. 

Boston’s star player Jayson Tatum struggled mightily, shooting just 6-for-18, including getting ejected in the fourth quarter. Marcus Smart contributed 19 points, but Boston's three-game winning streak was ended after missing 20 of its first 22 three-point attempts.

Due to their recent 7-3 record in 10 games, the Boston Celtics are currently a half game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for first place in the Eastern Conference rankings. They are scoring 117.7 points per game on offense, with Tatum leading the team with 30.1 points per game. 

The Celtics are giving up 112 points a game on defense, while their opponents are only shooting 46.7 percent from the field. The Celtics' adjusted defensive efficiency rating is the sixth-best in the NBA.

Odds And Lines

The spread for this matchup is set at five points, with the Celtics being listed as the favorites. The over/under is currently set at 218. 

Prediction

The Cleveland Cavaliers will have their back against the wall when they hit the road and play arguably the Eastern Conference’s best. I expect a hard-fought defensive battle in this matchup. The Celtics can really shoot it, but struggled in their last contest, while the Cavaliers own one of the best defenses in the league but play at a very slow pace. 

The bottom line is five points is way too many to cover in this matchup. The Cavaliers have certainly struggled on the road, but they won each of the last two matchups this year already. 

Boston really struggled against the Knicks, and the Cavaliers should swarm Jayson Tatum and put pressure on their offense. Cleveland should cover in this matchup, and in my opinion, they could upset the Celtics on the road.