Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Prediction, 5/9/2024 Preview and Pick

Game: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics

Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024

Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Cleveland (+11)

The Cleveland Cavaliers are on their way to TD Garden on Thursday where they will compete against the Boston Celtics in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Celtics lead the series 1-0. Boston is 11-point favorites from oddsmakers. The betting total comes in at 208.5.

The Cavaliers took a loss by a score of 120-95 in Game 1. Regarding fouls, the Cavaliers ended up with 18 and the Celtics recorded 13 fouls. They also converted 18 out of their 46 attempts from distance. Boston ended up shooting 85.7% from the free throw line by burying 12 of 14 tries. Furthermore, Boston had 55 boards (13 offensive, 42 defensive) and had 3 blocks. Boston distributed 22 assists and had 2 steals for this game. When it comes to the defense, Cleveland allowed their opponent to shoot 48.9% from the field on 45 out of 92 shooting. They also recorded 19 dimes in the matchup while forcing the other team into 6 turnovers and earning 2 steals. Concerning pulling down rebounds, they compiled 38 with 7 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the free throw line, the Cavaliers made 10 of their 13 shots for a rate of 76.9%. Cleveland walked away from the game having earned a 41.1% FG percentage (37 of 90) and converted 11 of 42 shots from beyond the arc.

Donovan Mitchell is a guy who came through in this matchup. He accounted for 33 points on 12 out of 25 shooting. He was on the court for 37 mins and also collected 6 boards. Mitchell shot 48.0% from the field and also totaled 5 assists.

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Cleveland will take the court with a record of 48-34 for the season. They are giving up possession 13.6 times per contest and as a basketball team they commit 17.5 fouls per contest. As a unit, Cleveland is pulling down 43.3 rebounds per game and has earned 2,299 assists for the season, which has them ranked 8th in the NBA in terms of passing. The Cavaliers are shooting 36.7% on shots from downtown (1,108 of 3,016) and 76.5% from the free throw line. They are averaging 112.6 points per outing (20th in basketball) while going 47.9% from the field.

On defense, the Cavaliers have forced 13.6 turnovers per contest and they draw 18.7 personal fouls. They are currently ranked 6th in the NBA in allowing assists to the opposition with 2,071 surrendered for the season. The Cavaliers are giving up a shooting percentage of 46.3% (3,323 of 7,176) and they concede 42.7 rebounds per contest as a group. They are giving up 37.1% on shots from beyond the arc and they are 7th in the league in opponents PPG (110.2).

In Game 1, the Celtics were able to pull down 42 defensive boards and 13 offensive rebounds for a total of 55 for this game. They coughed it up 6 times, while getting 2 steals in this game. The Cavaliers were called for 18 fouls for the contest which got the Celtics to the charity stripe for 14 attempts. They were able to make 12 of those for a clip of 85.7%. In relation to shots from distance, Boston buried 18 of 46 tries (39.1%). At the conclusion of this game, the Celtics ended up shooting 45 out of 92 from the floor which gave them a percentage of 48.9%. The Celtics permitted the Cavaliers to make 37 of their 90 attempts from the field which left them with a shooting percentage of 41.1% for this game. They finished 26.2% from beyond the arc by connecting on 11 of 42 and walked away from this one shooting 10 of 13 from the free throw line (76.9%). Concerning how they rebounded, Boston permitted Cleveland to snag 38 in total (7 on the offensive glass).

Jaylen Brown was important for the Celtics in this matchup. Brown racked up 32 points in his 34 minutes on the court and earned 2 assists in this contest. He buried 12 out of 18 for this game for a field goal percentage of 66.7%, and accumulated 6 rebounds.

Boston has a win-loss record of 64-18 so far this season. The Celtics are responsible for committing 16.2 fouls per game and they go 80.7% from the free throw line. Their rate of assisting teammates is at 26.9 times per contest (14th in the league) and they turn the ball over 11.9 times per contest. Boston has 9,887 points for the year (120.6 per contest) and they average 46.3 rebounds per contest. When it comes to offensive execution, the Celtics are shooting 48.7% from the field, which is ranked 8th in the NBA.

The Celtics on the defensive side of the court are 5th in the NBA in points allowed per game with 109.2. They are forcing their opponents into 12.0 turnovers per game and have let teams shoot 45.3% from the floor (2nd in basketball). The Boston defense allows 35.2% on 3-point attempts (1,059 of 3,008) and their opponents are converting on 76.8% of their foul shots. They have conceded 24.9 assists and 43.3 rebounds on a nightly basis, which is 5th and 14th in the league.

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Cleveland (+11)

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