A pair of Eastern Conference teams will play on Thursday in the second game of a rematch. The Cleveland Cavaliers are at the Boston Celtics. The Celtics won the first meeting between the two teams.
Cleveland with the loss have now dropped back to back games. The Cavaliers are 13-11 on the season, and 7-5 on the road. The Cavaliers are tied in 8th in the Eastern Conference with the Brooklyn Nets.
Boston on the other hand has the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have won back to back games, and 7 out of their 10 games overall. The Celtics are a perfect 11-0 at home this season.
Boston comes into this game as the favorite once again. The Celtics are -9.5 over Cleveland
The total for this game is set at 226.5.
Well Rounded Celtics Squad
The Boston Celtics come into the game as the fourth highest scoring team in the Eastern Conference. Only the Pacers, Bucks and 76ers score more. On the defensive side, their 109 points per game allowed is second only to Orlando.
Offensively, Jayson Tatum leads the charge. The former Duke Blue Devils star is scoring 27.4 points per game. Kristaps Porzingis is in his first season with the Celtics, and scoring more than 19 points per game Porzingis is playing more than 30 minutes per game. Jaylen Brown is adding 22.1 points per game.
Boston will remain at home following this game. The Celtics will host the Orlando Magic in back to back games, before going on a four game road trip.
Slumping Cleveland Cavaliers Team
The Cavaliers are looking to snap out of a two game losing streak. Before the losing streak, Cleveland had won three in a row; over the Pistons, Magic and Heat. Cleveland is scoring 110.6 points per game, but in the two losses, scoring just 102.5 per game.
Donovan Mitchell continues to be the top scorer for Cleveland. Mitchell is scoring 27.4 points per game, and playing nearly 36 minutes a night. Darius Garland has been in and out of the lineup for Cleveland. He is second on the team with 20.8 points per game. Jarrett Allen is also adding 12.6 per game.
Cleveland has been without Evan Mobley, and he is likely to sit in this game as well, but was recently noted as a game time decision with a knee injury. The Cavaliers will head home after this game for the next four. The Cavaliers will host Atlamta, Houston, Utah and New Orleans.
Rinse, Wash, Repeat for Celtics
Not much is going to change with a day off. The Boston Celtics are one of the best teams in the National Basketball Association. While Cleveland is a talented basketball team, they are not better than the Celtics. Look for another strong outing from the Celtics as they win their third straight and second in a row against Cleveland. The Celtics win this game and cover the spread. Bet Boston -9.5 over Cleveland.
