Spread, over/under and prop bets for Wednesday’s game between the favored and visiting Celtics and the Cavaliers.
Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference face off Wednesday in Cleveland on national TV.
The second-place Cavaliers host the third-place Celtics just days after the first meeting of the season between these two teams. Boston is a road favorite against a vastly improved Cavs team that traded for All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell in the offseason and has gotten off to a great start.
Below is the complete betting breakdown of the game in the “SO/UP” format, which means you’ll find an against the spread, over/under and prop bet to tail for tonight’s marquee matchup.
Bet on Celtics-Cavaliers at SI Sportsbook
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Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Odds
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Spread: Celtics -1.5 (-118) | Cavaliers +1.5 (+100)
Moneyline: Celtics (-133) | Cavaliers (+110)
Total: 220.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Celtics Betting Profile
Straight-Up Record: 4-2
Against The Spread Record: 3-3
Over/Under Record: 3-3
Points Per Game (Rank): 116.7 (12)
Points Allowed Per Game (Rank): 114.5 (18)
Cavaliers Betting Profile
Straight-Up Record: 5-1
Against The Spread Record: 5-1
Over/Under Record: 4-2
Points Per Game (Rank): 117.7 (7)
Points Allowed Per Game (Rank): 105.7 (2)
Spread Bet: Cavaliers +1.5 (+100)
Cleveland downed the Celtics in Boston just last week, 132-123 in overtime. That was a season-high scoring output for the Cavaliers, and they managed it behind 41 apiece from Mitchell and Caris LeVert. Over the weekend, Cleveland returned home and beat the Knicks for its fifth win in a row. The entirety of that streak has come without All-Star guard Darius Garland, who exited the opener—the only Cavs loss—with an eye injury. He’s questionable to return Wednesday.
Boston’s offense, powered by a league-best 16.2 made threes per game and 30.8 PPG from Jayson Tatum, has been phenomenal. The same can’t be said for its defense, which it rode to the Finals last year. The C’s have one of the worst rebounding differentials and lost the rebounding battle to the Cavs, 42-34.
Cleveland getting points at home feels almost too good to be true. It owns the second-best net rating, won outright as a seven-point road underdog last week in Boston and may be getting one of its best players back for this contest.
Over/Under Bet: Over 220.5 (-110)
The final score in regulation last week was 114-114 and even with Cleveland’s No. 2 scoring defense, its games have gone over more often than not. The Cavs aren’t great at defending the three-point line, which is Boston’s biggest strength, and Tatum and Jaylen Brown also each had 32 points in the last meeting.
No Celtics’ game with an over/under of at least 220 points has gone over yet, though the total against Cleveland was set at 218.5 and it went well over. Both offenses rank in the top half of the league and with Boston’s defense not playing up to its past levels, counting on 110 points or so from each team is a good bet.
Prop Bet: Jayson Tatum Over 27.5 Points (-110)
Tatum has gone over this total in four of six games this season, including against Cleveland. His shooting splits of 55/40/90 tell the story of the lethal scorer he’s become in his sixth season as he’s improved his scoring average every year.
Boston will need Tatum to again finish in the 30-point range to keep up with the Cavaliers and he’ll answer the call on the road.
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