Cavaliers vs Celtics Picks and Predictions: White Seeks Heat from Distance

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference do battle when Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics host Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden on Tuesday night.

These two East contenders played two uber-exciting and competitive games early in the season. Both went to overtime, with the Cavs pulling out the victory in each. But those games were four months ago, so it will be interesting to see where these teams stand now.

With Jaylen Brown expected in the Celtics' lineup, oddsmakers are giving Boston a moderate edge, setting them as 5-point home chalk. Is that too many points against a solid Cavs team? And what's the best bet in this matchup? I break it all down in my NBA picks and predictions Cavaliers vs. Celtics on Wednesday, March 1.

Cavaliers vs Celtics best odds

Cavaliers vs Celtics picks and predictions

This awesome Eastern Conference clash is full of stars. Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Jaylen Brown, Darius Garland. And the list goes on. But it could be the role players who end up deciding who wins this matchup.

One of my favorite role players in this matchup will be Celtics guard Derrick White. White is a staunch defender who will be leaned on plenty to help slow down the likes of Mitchell and Brown, but he is also having a great year shooting the basketball.

While White is coming off his first 0-fer night from 3-point range in forever, he’s shooting 38.3% from beyond the arc for the season and has hit two or more threes in 14 consecutive games. He was shooting 44.1% from three over that stretch.

Now, the Cavaliers don’t allow a ton of 3-point shots per game. In fact, they allow the fewest per game in the NBA. But the looks they do give up tend to be open ones as Cleveland, somewhat shockingly, ranks 24th in opponent 3-point shooting percentage, allowing teams to hit 37% of their attempts.

White is likely to come off the bench in this one with his team nearing full health, but I still see him playing near or above his average minutes of 27.6 per game considering the matchup.

With all those big names on the court, White might be overlooked a little. He’s hit two or more threes 35 times in his 61 games this season. His Over 1.5 made threes at even money is as solid a bet as you can find in what should be one of the most exciting games in the NBA tonight.

My best bet: Derrick White Over 1.5 made 3-pointers (+100)

Cavaliers vs Celtics spread analysis

The Celtics opened this matchup as 6-point favorites but the Cavaliers have seen the early money, moving the line to Boston -5.

The fourth-place Cavaliers halted a three-game losing streak with a 118-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors. But that losing streak was preceded by a seven-game winning streak. So, the Cavs had a bit of a roller coaster ride in February. 

Overall this is a very strong team. Mitchell and Garland in the backcourt, supported by Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen up front. That quartet has resulted in the second-highest net rating in the NBA. They're ninth in offensive rating and third in defense. 

The only team with a better net rating is — surprise, surprise — the Celtics. And Boston should be motivated not only by the great matchup, but following a poor performance last time out. The Celtics, who have the East’s best record, were embarrassed 109-94 by the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.

On top of motivation, the Celtics are arguably as healthy as they have been all season. Robert Williams III and Brown are both available for this matchup. And having the Time Lord is a big deal. Williams was unavailable in the first two meetings between these two East foes.

The Cavaliers won the first meeting 132-123 and the second 114-113. In both of those instances, the Celtics struggled in the second half, partially because of a short bench. 

While these teams are evenly matched, the Celtics have an edge on offense and rank third in efficiency. To boot, they'll have more depth this time around. What's more, the Cavs haven’t been a great bet on the road, going 12-18-1 ATS, while the Celtics are 18-13 ATS at home. I’d lean toward Boston here.

Cavaliers vs Celtics Over/Under analysis

The number hit the board as high as 223, and the Under has been hammered to the point where it’s sitting at 219 as of Wednesday afternoon. 

Despite both of the previous meetings going Over this number in a pair of OT matchups, the early money on the Under makes sense: This is a matchup of great defensive teams.

They're both in the Top 4 when it comes to defensive rating and Top 6 in opponent field goal percentage. Cleveland is also tops in the NBA when it comes to scoring defense, giving up 106.5 points per game. Boston ranks ninth at 112 points per contest.

While we’ve missed the best number, I would still lean toward the Under here.

Cavaliers vs Celtics betting trend to know

The Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall and the Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four at home. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Celtics.

Cavaliers vs Celtics game info

Cavaliers vs Celtics key injuries

Pages related to this topic