The Cleveland Cavaliers seek their third win in four games when they host the Boston Celtics on Monday. Cleveland (40-26) is coming off a 114-90 home triumph over Detroit on Saturday in which Donovan Mitchell suffered a sprained finger that has him questionable for this matchup. The Cavaliers' only loss over their last four outings came on the road against the Celtics (45-20), who dropped a 131-129 decision in double overtime at New York on Sunday for their third loss in four contests. Jayson Tatum (knee), Robert Williams III (hamstring) and Al Horford (back) are all out for Boston.
Tip-off at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Cleveland is a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Cavaliers vs. Celtics odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 218. Before making any Celtics vs. Cavaliers picks, you'll want to see the NBA predictions and betting advice from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past four-plus seasons. The model enters Week 21 of the 2022-23 NBA season on a stunning 61-30 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning nearly $2,700. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Cavaliers vs. Celtics and just locked in its picks and NBA predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Celtics vs. Cavs:
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics spread: Cleveland -7.5
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics over/under: 218 points
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics money line: Cleveland -285, Boston +228
- CLE: The Cavaliers are 7-1 against the spread in their last eight games following an ATS win
- BOS: The Celtics are 9-0 ATS in their last nine contests after allowing more than 125 points in their previous outing
- Cavaliers vs. Celtics: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Cleveland's chances certainly would be better with Mitchell, who led all players with 44 points in last Wednesday's 117-113 loss at Boston. Darius Garland also came up with a strong performance in that contest as he scored 29 points and dished out nine assists. The 23-year-old point guard led the Cavaliers in scoring against the Pistons with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range.
The Cavaliers posted a pair of overtime victories against Boston earlier this season, with Jarrett Allen registering a double-double in each contest. Caris LeVert has come up with some big performances versus the Celtics, reaching double figures in all three meetings. The 28-year-old shooting guard went 6-of-8 from beyond the arc en route to a season-high 41 points on Oct. 28 and recorded 15 points five days later before scoring 10 off the bench last week.
Why the Celtics can cover
Boston is looking to avoid its third three-game losing streak of the season and first since late January, when it also dropped three in a four-day span. The club saw all five starters score in double figures on Sunday, including Jaylen Brown who had 29 points to go along with eight rebounds and a career-high-tying four steals. Brown has averaged 26 points per game in three contests versus the Cavs this season, and he was Boston's leading scorer in its first two meetings with Cleveland, recording 32 points on Oct. 28 and 30 points five days later.
The Celtics are fourth in the NBA in scoring as they average 117.7 points per contest. They also field a defense that ranks in the top 10 in points allowed (112.4 per game) and defensive rating (112.3). Boston will also welcome back Malcolm Brogdon on Monday after he missed the last two games due to an ankle injury. Brogdon, one of the leading candidates for Sixth Man of the Year, is averaging 14.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 46% from 3-point range, which ranks second in the league.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, with the teams projected to combine for 224 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits almost 60% of the time. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cavaliers vs. Celtics? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Celtics vs. Cavaliers spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks.
