NBA Prediction: Will the Cavs cover in Game 1 vs. the Celtics? 5/17/17
The Eastern Conference Finals get started tonight. Will the Cleveland Cavaliers be able to go on the road and handle the Boston Celtics in Game 1 at 8:30PM ET? Here’s our NBA Prediction for the series opener
GAME 1 ODDS
According to oddsmakers, Cleveland is favored on the road, as they are getting odds of -4 points against the Celtics. The over/under total for Game 1 is listed at 219.5 points.
These two met four times during the season. Cleveland won three of the four meetings, but the Celtics were 2-1-1 against the spread.
THE CAVS
Cleveland is off to a perfect 8-0 start in the playoffs after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the first round and the Toronto Raptors in the second round. Cleveland is 5-2-1 against the spread in the postseason, including 3-0-1 ATS on the road. The Cavs haven’t played since May 7, though, so there could be a touch of rust. Cleveland enters tonight’s game 59-31 overall, 24-21 on the road and 41-45-4 against the spread.
LeBron James is leading the team in the postseason with 34.4 points, 9 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. Kyrie Irving is adding 23.8 points and 5.8 assists per contest while Kevin Love is putting up 13.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
THE CELTICS
Boston has had a much more difficult postseason than the Cavs. After falling behind 0-2 to the Chicago Bulls in the first round, the Celtics ultimately won that series in six games. That was followed up by a seven-game battle with the Wizards in which they won in seven games. Boston has managed to cover the spread in nine of its last 11 games. They are 61-34 on the season, 35-13 at home and 49-44-2 against the spread this season.
Isaiah Thomas is leading the team with 25.4 points and 6.5 assists per game in the playoffs. Al Horford is adding 16.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while Avery Bradley is averaging 15.8 points per contest.
NBA PREDICTION
The Cavs have been off for over a week, so it’s hard to know what to expect. They have looked flawless in the playoffs thus far, especially on the road. Boston is coming off a 7-game series, but they got to remain home during the day off.
Ultimately, I trust LeBron to have his guys ready. They know the Warriors have yet to lose in the playoffs and will want to keep that mental edge with them. Cleveland has many more scoring options than Cleveland and I expect Thomas to have a difficult time finding his shots against the Cavs.
NBA Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers -4
