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Bets: Best Picks for Cavaliers vs Celtics

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  • What: NBA Regular Season Game
  • When: November 19, 2024
  • Who: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics
  • Time:  7:00 p.m. EST
  • Where: TD Garden (Boston, MA)

Tuesday showcases the unbeaten 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers facing off against the defending champions, the Boston Celtics, in an NBA Cup Group Play matchup.

With a record of 15-0, the Cavaliers have matched the impressive starts of the 1993-94 Houston Rockets and the 1948-49 Washington Capitols, marking the second-best opening in NBA history.

Cleveland’s perfect start also ranks as the second-longest winning streak to kick off a season in the league’s history. The Cavaliers will play its fifth game in nine days and its third in five days.

Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics have an 11-3 record this season and have won two consecutive games, winning four of their last five outings.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers remain unbeaten primarily due to their impressive offensive performance. With an average of 123.7 points per game, Cleveland tops the NBA in scoring.

They are also the only team shooting better than 50 percent from the field and over 40 percent from three-point range. The Cavaliers excel at winning tight games and maintaining control during blowouts.

On defense, the Cavaliers are just as effective. They rank among the top teams, allowing only 111.4 points per game, which is the 10th-fewest in the league.

They do a commendable job of limiting opponents’ shooting efficiency as well. Additionally, Cleveland avoids excessive fouling, playing tough defense without losing their composure.

They will need to be especially focused against the Celtics on Tuesday night to preserve their perfect record.

Boston Celtics

If there’s any team that could hand the Cavaliers their first loss, it’s the Celtics. Boston currently sits second in the NBA in scoring, matching the Cavaliers’ points allowed per game.

They match up against Cleveland better than any other team in the league. They’ve also been on a roll, winning four out of their last five games and only suffering three losses this season.

If the Celtics maintain their current level of play, they stand a good chance to win this game.

One of Boston’s standout strengths is their three-point shooting. They lead the league in three-pointers made per game (18.9) and they also rank ninth in shooting percentage.

The Cavaliers give up a shooting percentage of 37.8 percent from beyond the arc, which is the third-lowest in the league.

If Cleveland can’t contain Boston’s long-range shooting, they might find themselves in trouble.

Cavs-Celtics Best Bet

Defensively, the Celtics match the Cavaliers in performance, conceding the same average points per game.

They are particularly strong at defending three-point shots and have a knack for making strategic fouls. Every member of the Celtics is well-equipped to defend effectively, and they will need to be at their best on Tuesday.

I think Boston maintains their high defensive standards and hands the Cavaliers their first loss. The Celtics are heavily favored on the moneyline at -225 at BetMGM. 

That is too expensive for my liking, so I’ll turn toward the spread in this one. Oddsmakers have put a 5.5-point spread on this matchup. That’s a tricky spread, but if I’m given 5 points with the unbeaten Cavs, I’ll take that.

While the Celtics may hand the Cavs their first loss it will be a close game. The best bet in this one is Cavs +5.5 points at -110 odds at BetMGM.

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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.

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