Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals has the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers going on the road to play the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics on Wednesday. The Celtics lead this 2024 NBA playoffs series 3-1 and have a chance to end it tonight and reach the conference finals for the third straight year. In Game 4, Boston topped Cleveland 109-102. Caris LeVert (knee), Jarrett Allen (rib) and Donovan Mitchell (calf) are questionable for Cleveland, while Kristaps Porzingis (calf) remains out for Boston.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics are 15.5-point favorites in the latest Cavaliers vs. Celtics odds via SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points is 205. Before making any Celtics vs. Cavaliers picks, be sure to check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
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 five-plus seasons. The model entered the conference semifinals in the 2024 NBA playoffs on a sizzling 94-61 roll on all top-rated NBA picks this season, returning more than $2,800. Anyone following the model has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Celtics vs. Cavs and just locked in its picks and NBA playoff predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the NBA betting lines and trends for Cavs vs. Celtics:
- Celtics vs. Cavaliers spread: Boston -15.5
- Celtics vs. Cavaliers over/under: 205 points
- Celtics vs. Cavaliers money line: Boston -1667, Cleveland +900
- CLE: The Cleveland Cavaliers have hit the team total Under in 26 of their last 38 away games
- BOS: The Boston Celtics have hit the 2Q money line in 53 of their last 72 games
- Celtics vs. Cavaliers picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Celtics can cover
Guard Derrick White does lots of things to impact the team. He has a solid jumper, good ball handles with the vision to find the open man, and also plays high-energy defense. In the 2024 NBA playoffs, White is averaging 18.2 points, 3.6 assists, and shooting 43.4% from beyond the arc. In Game 1, he had 25 points, five assists, and made seven 3-pointers.
Guard Jrue Holiday is a superb two-way threat in the backcourt. Holiday has always been a pass-first playmaker with great length and coordination on the defensive end. The former UCLA standout is logging 10.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in the postseason. In the Game 4 win, Holiday had 16 points, seven boards, and five assists. See which team to pick here.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Guard Darius Garland may have to shoulder a larger burden offensively given the many Cavs who are game-time decisions. Garland has a sweet perimeter jumper to go with a calm floater in the lane, and the Vanderbilt product also has good court vision as a facilitator. He is logging 16.1 points and a team-best 5.5 assists per game in the 2024 NBA playoffs. In Game 4, Garland notched 30 points and seven dimes.
Forward Evan Mobley owns a soft touch around the basket while being active on the glass and with rim protection. The USC product can also hit mid-range jumpers to space the floor. He's averaging 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the postseason, to go along with 2.2 assists and 2.2 blocks. On Monday, Mobley racked up 19 points and nine boards. See which team to pick here.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Celtics picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 213 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits 60% of the time. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Celtics vs. Cavaliers, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Cavaliers vs. Celtics spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,800 on its NBA picks this season, and find out.
