The Cleveland Cavaliers are 2-1 against the Boston Celtics this year, and they will claim the season series with a win Monday night. Here are the best Celtics vs. Cavaliers NBA picks based on the best NBA odds.
The Celtics have lost three of their last five games, including a 131-129 double-overtime defeat at the hands of the New York Knicks last night. Jayson Tatum scored 40 points, but the Celtics' defense could not stop Immanuel Quickley who finished the game with 38.
The Cavaliers have lost four of their last six games, including last Wednesday when they fell 117-113 in Boston. Donovan Mitchell scored 44 in that contest. The first time these two teams met in Cleveland, the Cavs won 114-113 in overtime.
Here is our best Celtics vs. Cavaliers NBA pick (odds via PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
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Celtics vs. Cavaliers pick
It's not surprising to see the Cavs favored in this one, especially after the Celtics played an extra 10 minutes last night against the Knicks. However, six points feels like a lot even if the Celtics are absolutely exhausted. Celtics' guard Malcolm Brogdon missed last night's game, so if he plays tonight, he will be a fresh addition to the Boston lineup.
Mitchell, Cleveland's leading scorer, is dealing with a left hand and finger sprain, so he likely won't be 100% if he plays tonight. If Mitchell doesn't play, or has his minutes limited, then this spread is way too large.
The Celtics could be dealing with some tired legs on Monday, so we're not going to take the Over on the game total. However, we are going to recommend playing the Over on the Cavaliers ' total. The Celtics are allowing 119.7 points per game in their last three, and they have allowed at least 113 to the Cavaliers every time they have played this season.
The Cavs are averaging 115 points per game in their last three, and they are averaging 113.6 per contest at home this season. Even if they are without Mitchell, they are catching the Celtics at the right time to put up some points and potentially come away with a win.
Celtics vs. Cavaliers best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
| Cavs Over 112.5 | Cavs Over 112.5 | Cavs Over 112.5 | Cavs Over 112.5 | Cavs Over 112.5 |
| -115 | -110 | -110 | -110 | -105 |
All five of the major sportsbooks are in agreement about where this line should be, but there are various prices available. DraftKings Sportsbook is offering the worst price, with the Over listed at -115.
At -105, PointsBet is offering the best price. They are actually significantly favoring the Cavs to score fewer than 112 points, as the Under is listed at -125. With this in mind, it could be worth waiting to see if you can get this number down to around 111 or even 110.5.
Celtics vs. Cavaliers odds
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Celtics vs. Cavaliers odds analysis
The Cavaliers opened as 1.5-point favorites, but after the double-overtime contest for the Celtics last night, this line has jumped as high as 6.5. At the time of this writing, 54 % of wagers are on the Celtics to cover. While that is not a large number, we expect this spread to drop to about 5.5 before tipoff.
The total for the game opened at 218.5, and that is where it has stayed at all five of the major sportsbooks. At this point, 60% of wagers are backing the Over, but so far the line has shown no signs of moving. If Brogdon is declared healthy enough to play, and once it is official that Mitchell will play, this number could go north of 220.
Celtics vs. Cavaliers game info
- Date: Monday, March 6, 7 p.m. ET
- TV: NBA League Pass
- Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Celtics vs. Cavaliers pick made 03/06/2023 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
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