Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: Prediction and Betting tips | Dec. 14, 2023

The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Boston Celtics for the second straight game on Thursday. Cleveland fell 120-113 on the road to their opponents on Tuesday and will be looking to even the season series. The Cavs had a quick start but the Celtics kept their composure despite missing several open shots. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland had great games but couldn’t score when the Cavaliers needed them most.

Boston remains the only unbeaten team at home. After the win against the Cavaliers, the Celtics have now won 11 straight in front of their fans. In a seesaw battle, it was Boston's superb work on the defensive end that dragged them to the win. Jayson Tatum is ready to lead the Celtics again but Jaylen Brown is questionable.

Cleveland has been inconsistent the whole season. After winning their past three games, they have now lost two straight. Another defeat will continue the trend and drag their record to 13-12.

The Cavaliers are confusingly a bottom-10 team on offense even with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland healthy. They are 24th in offensive rating and will again be in trouble if they can’t execute well on that end on Thursday.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: Preview, betting tips and prediction

Game details

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers (13-11) vs Boston Celtics (17-5)

Date and Time: December 14, 2023 | 7:30 PM ET

Venue: TD Garden | Boston, MA

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: Game preview

Cleveland’s offense has failed them for most of the season. They had a good start against the Celtics but couldn’t sustain it. The Cavaliers are 24th in scoring with 110.6 points per game and 24th in three-point shooting, averaging 34.6% from deep. If their offense continues to have another roller-coaster ride, beating the Celtics will be a tough assignment.

Boston had a lethargic start on Tuesday against the Cavaliers. Fortunately, they were able to turn it on in the next three quarters to emerge with the win. The Celtics can’t get complacent as Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland are still deadly threats. If they execute well on both ends of the court, they have a good chance of remaining unbeaten at TD Garden.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: Predicted starting lineups

Evan Mobley isn’t available yet for the Cavaliers. Dean Wade is likely to continue playing in Mobley’s absence. Mitchell, Garland, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus are expected to start for the team.

Jaylen Brown is questionable due to a left ankle sprain. If he’s unable to play, Sam Hauser could be inserted into the first five. Kristaps Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday are the Celtics’ regular starters.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: Betting tips

Jayson Tatum leads the Boston Celtics with 27.4 points per game. The over/under points prop for him is 28.5. Bettors get -113 regardless of which line they choose to pick. Boston’s All-NBA forward has hit 28 points just three times out of his last 10 games. If Jaylen Brown is sidelined, he will look for his shots more and might go over the points prop.

Like Tatum, Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.4 PPG. The over/under points prop for the Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star guard is 27.5. Bettors get -125 for over and -102 for under. “Spida” has hit at least 27 points in four out of his last 10 games.

Mitchell was on fire against the Celtics in their first meeting and will be confident he can have another big night. He may need to go over his points prop for the Cavaliers to have a chance of winning on Thursday.

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics: Predictions

The moneyline for the Cavaliers is +300 while it’s -380 for the Celtics. Cleveland is +8.5 underdogs on the road against Boston.

Cleveland let a big opportunity slip by them when they lost to Boston on Tuesday. They’ll get another chance on Thursday to hand the Celtics their first home loss of the season. Evan Mobley’s absence will be a big factor but the Cavs stayed with the Celtics without him.

Boston will have a tough battle, particularly if Jaylen Brown is unavailable. They could still walk away with the win but the Cavaliers could cover the spread.