Boston and Cleveland meet for the most anticipated matchup of the season between an undefeated Cavs squad and the reigning champion Celtics.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a perfect 15-0 but underdogs for the third time this season as they go to Boston. Cleveland will be playing its fifth game in nine days and its third game in five days. Donovan Mitchell is leading the charge and coming off a season-high 37 points with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley both double-doubling three of the past four games.
The Boston Celtics are 11-3 on the season and winners of two straight games and four of the past five. In all 14 games, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have led Boston in scoring, but players like Derrick White (18.8 PPG) and Payton Pritchard (15.5 PPG) have stepped up routinely with Kristaps Porzingis out for the start of the season.
With that said, let’s dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch the opening tip, projected lineups, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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Details & how to watch Cavaliers @ Celtics
● Date: Monday, November 18, 2024
● Time: 7:00 PM ET
● Site: TD Garden
● City: Boston, MA
● TV/Streaming: NBA TNT
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Game odds for Cavaliers @ Celtics
The latest odds as of Tuesday afternoon:
● Moneyline: Boston Celtics (-210), Cleveland Cavaliers (+176)
● Spread: Boston -5.5
● Total: 235.5
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Probable starting lineups for Cleveland and Boston
· Boston Celtics (11-3)
PG Jrue Holiday
SG Derrick White
SF Jaylen Brown
PF Jayson Tatum
C Al Horford
· Cleveland Cavaliers (15-0)
PG Darius Garland
SG Donovan Mitchell
SF Isaac Okoro
PF Evan Mobley
C Jarrett Allen
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cavaliers @ Celtics
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Cleveland is an NBA-best 11-4 ATS, ranking 2nd-best in the NBA.
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Boston is 7-7 ATS this season and 7-7 on the total.
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Boston is 2-4 ATS as a home favorite, ranking 10th-worst.
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Cleveland is 10-5 to the Over, ranking 4th-best to the Over.
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Cleveland is 2-0 ATS as an underdog and 2-0 to the Under.
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Jayson Tatum is averaging 29.4 PPG in November so far and has dropped 30 or more points in five of nine games.
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Jaylen Brown is averaging 25.4 PPG in five games during November.
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Derrick White has scored 15-plus points in seven of nine games.
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Donovan Mitchell scored a season-high 37 points versus Chicago in his last game and made seven three-pointers for the second time.
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Evan Mobley scored 23 points in three out of his last five games.
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Jarrett Allen has double-doubled in three straight games with 21 points and 15 rebounds in his last game.
Notable Player Props for Cavaliers @ Celtics
Highest Point Props
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Jayson Tatum O/U 27.5 Points
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Donovan Mitchell O/U 27.5 Points
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Jaylen Brown O/U 24.5 Points
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Evan Mobley O/U 16.5 Points
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Jarrett Allen O/U 14.5 Points
Highest Rebound Props
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Jarrett Allen O/U 10.5 Rebounds
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Evan Mobley O/U 9.5 Rebounds
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Jayson Tatum O/U 8.5 Rebounds
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Jaylen Brown O/U 5.5 Rebounds
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Al Horford O/U 5.5 Rebounds
Highest Assist Props
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Darius Garland O/U 6.5 Assists
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Jayson Tatum O/U 5.5 Assists
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Donovan Mitchell O/U 4.5 Assists
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Derrick White O/U 4.5 Assists
Expert picks & predictions for Cavaliers @ Celtics
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NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes the Celtics to go over the 59.5 First Half Team Total against the Cavaliers:
“Cleveland enters this matchup undefeated at 15-0 but faces its toughest test yet as a 4.5-point road underdog against the league’s best team.
Recent trends paint a worrying picture for the Cavaliers. Over the last four games, they’ve been porous on defense, allowing a staggering 63.0 first-half points per game—ranked 28th out of 30 teams during this stretch. They’ve given up big first halves to teams like Chicago (66 and 73 points), Charlotte (59), and even Philadelphia (54), despite the absence of Joel Embiid.
On the flip side, Cleveland has been playing at a blistering pace—8th-fastest in the league this season, a major leap from 21st last year. They’re also leading the NBA in offensive efficiency, with Boston just behind them at No. 2. With a game total of 233 and rising, expect Boston to hit the ground running, as they so often do, and cross the 60-point mark in the first half.”
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for the Celtics and the Cavaliers:
· Moneyline: NBC Sports finds confidence in taking Boston on the ML (-200)
· Spread: NBC Sports has strong confidence in Boston -4.5 on the spread
· Total: NBC Sports has low confidence towards a play on the Total UNDER 235.5 points
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the EXPERT NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and total picks for each of the games on today’s calendar!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
