Celtics vs Cavaliers Prediction, Odds & Best Bets | NBA Picks Today (3/5): Boston Aims for 12th Straight Win

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The NBA has a pair of TNT national broadcasts scheduled for Tuesday, March 5, beginning with the Boston Celtics (48-12) taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers (39-21) at 7:30 p.m. ET.

We've got Player of the Month Jay and Player of the Week Jay.

Here’s a recap of the scorching stretch they’ve both been on ⬇️https://t.co/adXcKRZ1uq

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) March 5, 2024

The Celtics are aiming for their 12th consecutive victory after notching a massive 140-88 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers are coming off a 107-98 loss to the New York Knicks, leaving time to tell if they can turn things around against one of the NBA’s best teams.

Although Cleveland is one of the league’s better squads, it only has +3500 odds to win the 2023-24 NBA Finals (T-13th) whereas Boston is the clear-cut favorite at +250, per Bovada’s futures markets.

And, of course, there are plenty of betting opportunities to check out tonight, so let’s dive into my Celtics vs. Cavaliers predictions and best bets.

Celtics vs Cavaliers NBA Betting Tonight (3/5)

Celtics vs Cavaliers Matchup Information

• Matchup: Boston Celtics (48-12, 19-9 Away) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (39-21, 20-11 Home)
• Venue & Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland, OH)
• Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2024
• Game Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• How to Watch Celtics vs. Cavaliers: TNT

Cavaliers vs Celtics Odds & Spread

Cavaliers vs. Celtics odds are courtesy of Bovada as of Tuesday, March 5 at 8:46 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Celtics vs Cavaliers Spread

• Boston Celtics -8.5 (-110)
• Cleveland Cavaliers +8.5 (-110)

Cavaliers vs Celtics Over/Under

• Over 217 Points (-105)
• Under 217 Points (-115)

Celtics vs Cavaliers Moneyline

• Boston Celtics (-370)
• Cleveland Cavaliers (+285)

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Best Bets and Picks Tonight

Looking to get in on even more NBA picks today? Check out our NBA Picks page for consensus picks for every 2023-24 season game.

You can also check out:

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Celtics vs Cavaliers NBA Betting Trends

• Boston is 8-0 straight up in its last eight road games.
• Cleveland is 5-1 straight up in its last six home games vs. Boston.
• Boston is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five games vs. the Eastern Conference.
• Cleveland is 0-5 ATS in its last five home games.
• The total hit the Over in five of Boston’s last six games vs. Cleveland.
• The total hit the Under in 12 of Cleveland’s last 18 games.

Celtics vs Cavaliers Prediction & NBA Picks Today (3/5): Will Boston’s Streak Continue?

The Celtics have a chance to sweep the Cavaliers in the third and final matchup of their regular-season series tonight. Boston tallied two wins in three days against Cleveland back in the middle of December, first winning 120-113 before notching a 116-107 victory.

The dominance is nothing new for the Celtics, who are now 14-6 SU across their last 20 meetings with the Cavaliers. Although the Cavs won five of their six previous home meetings against the C’s, continuing that trend will be easier said than done this evening.

After all, the Cavaliers are the best team in the NBA at the moment. Not only has Joe Mazzulla’s squad won 11 games in a row, but they also rank first in points, field-goal percentage, threes made, three-point percentage, and average scoring margin during that stretch. That’s without mentioning how they’re also fourth in rebounds and eighth in assists.

Additionally, the Celtics have won eight consecutive road outings ahead of tonight’s contest, outscoring those opponents by an average of 11.8 points per game.

The Celtics have been blowing out the competition lately. 

The Cavaliers have the 11th-best winning percentage at home this season (63.3%), but things haven’t gone that smoothly lately. Cleveland has not only dropped three of its last five home games but also failed to cover the spread in each contest. In fact, the Cavs are only 13-16-1 ATS (44.8%) at home during the 2023-24 campaign.

For reference, the Celtics are 12-13-3 ATS (48.0%) on the road while also going 11-12-3 ATS (47.8%) as the away favorite. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are 2-4 ATS (33.3%) as home underdogs.

Another thing working against the Cavaliers is their injury situation. Caris LeVert (elbow) and Isaac Okoro (elbow) are both questionable while Donovan Mitchell (knee) and Max Strus (knee) have both already been ruled out. Being without Mitchell is the biggest blow as Cleveland is 1-3 SU in the last four games without the superstar sharpshooter.

Boston is also banged up, but its situation is more favorable, for sure. Neemias Quenta (knee) is the only Celtics player who’s been ruled out while Jaylen Brown (knee) and Kristaps Porzingis (quad) are both expected to be game-time decisions.

Can the Cavaliers prevail without Donovan Mitchell (knee) tonight? 

I could trust the Cavaliers at home on most nights, but not against the Celtics. Boston has been destroying their opponents left and right throughout the 2023-24 campaign and Cleveland isn’t an exception. The Celtics will march into Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, do what they do best (hint: win), and walk out of Cleveland with their 12th consecutive victory.

As for the best bet, I’m also taking the Celtics to cover the spread. After all, Boston has a perfect 6-0 ATS record across its last six outings. Meanwhile, Cleveland is 1-8 ATS in its last nine outings while also going 1-7 ATS across its eight previous Eastern Conference tilts.

Considering how the Celtics just beat the Warriors by 52 points, I like their odds of covering the spread once again.

Celtics vs Cavaliers Prediction: BOS wins

Best Celtics vs Cavaliers NBA Bet: BOS -8.5 (-110)

Get 50% up to $750 on your Celtics vs. Cavaliers pick today over at Bovada

Best Celtics vs Cavaliers NBA Prop Bet (3/5)

If you’re looking for a Celtics vs. Cavaliers player prop, you cannot go wrong with the Over on Jayson Tatum’s 8.5-rebound total.

Although Tatum hasn’t been consistently hitting the Over lately, I see that changing tonight. The five-time NBA All-Star has finished with at least 10 rebounds in each of his last four meetings against the Cavaliers, averaging 11.0 RPG along the way. Additionally, he’s averaging 9.6 boards across his last eight road games, finishing with at least 10 in two of the last four.

After the Cavs were outrebounded 47-39 by the Knicks two nights ago, I’m confident that Tatum can pull through on this prop tonight.