Boston Celtics (71-20) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (53-40)
Game Info: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 at 7:00 pm (TD Garden)
Betting Odds: Boston Celtics -15 --- Over/Under: 206.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be hoping to stave off elimination against the Boston Celtics in NBA Game 5 at the TD Garden on Wednesday night. Here's a Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Prediction.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in deep trouble as they are now looking to stay alive after getting beaten by the Celtics in a 109-102 loss in Game 4 on Monday. Darius Garland led the team with 30 points and seven assists on 12 of 27 shooting, Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley each scored 19 points while Max Strus chipped in with 15 points and seven assists. As a team, the Cavaliers shot 43 percent from the field and 15 of 48 from the 3-point line as they struggled to contain the Celtics from the start, allowing 37 points in the first quarter to fall behind right away, before they went on a late run to cut a 15-point deficit to just five points at one stage. Isaac Okoro had a quiet game as he scored just two points on one of eight shooting while LeVert played a decent game as a starter in place of the injured Donovan Mitchell.
Boston Celtics
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are completely in control now after taking care of business in a close win in Game 4 on Monday. Jayson Tatum caught fire early to lead the team with 33 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, Jaylen Brown added 27 points on nine of 15 shooitng while Jrue Holiday chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. As a team, the Celtics shot 48 percent from the field and 12 of 32 from the 3-point line as they set the tone with 37 points in the first quarter to take the early lead, before they held the Cavaliers to just 21 points in the third quarter to push the margin out to 15 points. The only blemishes from the otherwise solid victory was Al Horford who scored just six points on three of nine shooting and Derrick White who scored just five points on one of six shooting.
Why the Boston Celtics will win
- The Celtics have won 14 of their last 15 games following a road win.
- The Cavaliers have lost eight of their last nine playoff road games.
- The Cavaliers have failed to cover the spread in seven of their last eight playoff games as road underdogs.
- The Celtics have covered the spread in each of their last six night games at TD Garden following a road win.
Boston Celtics Player Facts
- Derrick White is one of only four qualified players in the league averaging at least 1.0 threes, 1.0 steals and 1.0 blocks this season.
- Jayson Tatum ranks 3rd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for points per game (26.9) this season.
Cleveland Cavaliers Player Facts
- Darius Garland ranks 48th amongst qualified players for FT% (83.4%) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for opponent blocks per game this season (3.7).
- The Celtics rank 1st in the league for turnovers per game this season (11.9).
- The Cavaliers rank 27th in the league for H2 points per game this season (54.6).
- The Cavaliers rank 5th in the league for opponent offensive rebounds per game this season (10.0).
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Prediction
The Cavaliers could be shorthanded for this one with Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen all questionable, while the Celtics are still missing Kristaps Porzingis who is dealing with that calf injury. The Cavaliers showed plenty of fight to hang with the Celtics in Game 4 despite playing without Mitchell, but they had to insert LeVert into the starting lineup, which meant that they were getting nothing from their bench players. This is defintely a game where you want to check the lineups before tipoff, but the Celtics have all the momentum and I think they finish off the job in this spot.