NBA Betting Preview: Boston Celtics at Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are back in action at home on Wednesday night as they will host the Boston Celtics at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Both of these teams are coming off losses in their previous contests and are looking to get back to winning ways with only 3 to 4 games left in the regular season.

The Boston Celtics fell to (35-34) on the season after dropping a game to the Miami Heat 129-121. The Cavaliers are coming off a hard-fought battle with the Indiana Pacers but came up short 111-102.

Boston Celtics Preview

It’s been an up and down campaign for the Boston Celtics, and news only got worse as they will finish the rest of the 2020-2021 season without star guard Jaylen Brown. Brown suffered a torn ligament in his wrist that will require surgery. Prior to the injury, Brown was having a career season on 24.7 points and 3.4 assists.

The Celtics currently hold the 7 spot in the standings and are sitting in the NBA’s play-in tournament. It will take a strong finish and many outcomes for this group to avoid the play-in and move up to the 6 spot in the standings.

This team has struggled with an identity all season long, and with 3 games left on the schedule, they will be looking to round into form and get prepared for another deep run in the playoffs. The Celtics played well against the Heat, shooting over 50% from the field and hitting 18 threes but where this team has struggled is on the defensive end as they allowed the Heat to shoot 60% from the field and 55% from three.

Cleveland Cavaliers Preview

It’s been a season to forget the Cavaliers, but with their recent skid of 11 straight losses, they have helped their chances of earning the potential #1 pick. The Cavaliers are currently 14th in the standings at (21-48) and hold the third-worst record in the league.

The Cavs are coming off a home loss to the Indiana Pacers 111-102 and played the visitors tough all the way down to the final minutes of the game. They won the rebounding margin and turnover battle and had nice stretches throughout the game, but they allowed the Pacers to shoot 50% from the field and 41% from three. The team has struggled with injuries to key players as they continue to make the best of their opportunities. 

Colin Sexton has shown great growth in year three, averaging 24.4 points and 3.2 assists. Newly acquired big man Jarrett Allen is third on the team in scoring at 11.2 points and 10.4 rebounds. Darius Garland has missed 6 games due to an ankle injury, and the Cavs are playing it smart with their franchise point guard. Garland has been great in his second season in the league averaging 17.7 points and 6.2 assists.

Celtics vs Cavs Preview

The Boston Celtics desperately need a win after losing four of their last five games. This team has been inconsistent all year long, but a game against one of the bottom three teams in the league is one that they need and could use to get back on track. All-Star forward Jayson Tatum has been all NBA level, but in the absence of Jaylen Brown, the Celtics are going to need some of those other guys to step up and help carry the load.

The Cavaliers are in an interesting spot, the young core they have is talented, and they play hard with nothing to lose. Some of these guys are getting looked at as potential franchise building blocks as they prepare for the future. This team could very well end the season on a 14 game losing streak with a better chance of earning the #1 overall pick in the lottery. The Celtics are the more talented team on paper, but they have yet to put together 48 minutes of quality basketball.

Boston needs a win in a big way and a strong finish to the season as they search for their identity heading into the playoffs, and this is the kind of game they can use to get back on track.