It’s a heavyweight clash at the top of the East tonight as the Boston Celtics host a Cleveland Cavaliers team that’s looking to extend its eight-game win streak.
Boston won the teams’ last matchup and is still the NBA title betting favorite, but my Cavaliers vs. Celtics predictions expect the visitors to bring the fight here.
My NBA picks and betting tips dive into this February 28 clash, which feels increasingly like an Eastern Conference Finals preview.
Cavaliers vs Celtics prediction
My best bet
Evan Mobley Over 15.5 points (-125 at bet365)
My analysis
Evan Mobley has emerged as the leading Defensive Player of the Year candidate now that Victor Wembanyama is out for the rest of the season, but he’s been putting in work at the other end of the floor, too – and that’s where I’m looking for my best bet tonight.
I love the Over on Mobley’s points prop here, with the line sitting at 15.5. He’s averaging 18.7 ppg this season for the 48-10 Cleveland Cavaliers, and he’s taken his production up another level this month.
His February numbers – 20.7 ppg on 57% shooting, including a 25-point effort against the Memphis Grizzlies last week – have been eye-catching, and he’s going to be a big part of the offense here, even with Darius Garland set to return after missing the team’s last two games.
The trends are encouraging, too. Mobley has gone past this 15.5 number in his last four contests, and he’s had at least 21 points in six of his past 10 outings.
Facing a motivated Boston Celtics defense is no cakewalk, but it’s nothing new for Mobley. Though he’s struggled in his last two matchups against Boston, he scored 22 points against the Celtics earlier this season and averaged 21.4 ppg in their playoff series last year.
The Cavs can’t simply rely on Garland and Donovan Mitchell in this one. Boston is too good on the perimeter for that to be a sustainable approach, so the stage is set for Mobley to be active in the midrange and on the offensive glass here.
Cavaliers vs Celtics same-game parlay
Evan Mobley Over 15.5 points
Cleveland Cavaliers +2
Jayson Tatum Over 7.5 rebounds
With Darius Garland back in the line-up, this battle feels like a coin flip, so I’ll gladly take the points with the Cavs, who are 38-19-1 ATS this season. They’ve covered the spread in five of their last six games, and five of their last nine wins have come by a margin of more than 20 points.
Cleveland is 21-6 on the road this year, while Boston is coming off a disappointing 117-97 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday and has injury question marks over Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday.
It’s also not likely that the visitors can be caught for the No.1 seed – so that could take away a little of the Celtics’ motivation to show all their cards here.
Jayson Tatum continues to be a consistent rebounder for Boston, and I’m taking this Over to round out my SGP. I’m surprised this line is still as low as 7.5. Tatum is averaging 8.7 RPG this season, and the hosts will need a big haul on the glass to withstand the Cavs’ towering frontcourt.
Tatum has finished with eight or more boards in four of his last six games – and in two of his three outings against Cleveland this year.
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Cavaliers vs Celtics odds
Cavaliers vs Celtics live odds
Cavaliers vs Celtics opening odds
- Spread: Cleveland +2.5 (-110) | Boston -2.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Cleveland (+115) | Boston (-140)
- Over/Under: Over 231.5 (-110) | Under 231.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Cavaliers vs Celtics spread and Over/Under analysis
- Boston is a slight favorite tonight after winning eight of its last 10 games, but the hosts are just 25-33-1 ATS this season
- Cleveland has hit the 1H moneyline in 43 of its last 58 contests.
- The Cavs have hammered the Over this year (38-20), but the Under is 6-4 in the past 10 meetings between these teams, including the last two clashes.
- The Under has been a winning ticket in five of Boston’s past six outings
Cavaliers vs Celtics trend
The Celtics have cashed in the 1Q Under in 22 of their last 30 games at TD Garden. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Celtics.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Celtics
| Location | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Date | Friday, 2-28-2025 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FanDuel Sports Network-Ohio, NBCSB, SportsNet |
Cavaliers vs Celtics latest injuries
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