Isaiah Thomas and the Boston Celtics will look to snap out of the funk they’ve been in while delivering a message to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers when they host the Eastern Conference leaders on Wednesday night. Now, let’s find out where the NBA betting odds value is in this matchup.
James had 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in his return from a bout with strep throat after missing Saturday night’s loss to Chicago.
“What would anybody’s team be without their best player,” said Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue, who it should be said is also now battling a sore throat. “And with him being the best player in the world, he brings so much to our team. The way he can defend, rebound the basketball, get guys involved, get guys easy shots, can score the basketball, knowing when to pick and choose his spots, when to be aggressively offensively but also getting guys involved”.
“It’s frustrating when you don’t get any calls and you feel like you’re getting fouled,” said Thomas, who did have seven assists and five rebounds. “We gotta do a better job of holding our head and trying to stay positive, though. It’s just a learning lesson for us.”
The Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win and a bankroll-boosting 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall. Conversely, the Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall, 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against their Eastern Conference counterparts and a winless 0-6 ATS in their last six home games. The Cavs win by eight to cover the spread as slight road faves.
Here’s A Closer Look At The Cleveland Vs Boston Free NBA Picks, Odds & TV Info
When: Wednesday, February 29 at 8:00 PM ET Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA TV: CSNE, FSOH, ESPN Live Stream: Watch ESPN NBA Odds: TBAWhy Bet The Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are a good bet because LeBron James and company will want to deliver their own message to the upstart C’s that, should they meet in the postseason, they’ll have no chance whatsoever. Cleveland has won five of their last six games and comes into this showdown off a 102-95 win over Milwaukee on Monday night.James had 24 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in his return from a bout with strep throat after missing Saturday night’s loss to Chicago.
“What would anybody’s team be without their best player,” said Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue, who it should be said is also now battling a sore throat. “And with him being the best player in the world, he brings so much to our team. The way he can defend, rebound the basketball, get guys involved, get guys easy shots, can score the basketball, knowing when to pick and choose his spots, when to be aggressively offensively but also getting guys involved”.
Why Bet The Boston Celtics
The Celtics have dropped three of their last four games and come into this contest off a humbling 114-98 loss to Atlanta on Monday night as Isaiah Thomas had his worst game of the season. The biggest little man in the game today saw his club-record streak of 43 consecutive 20-point games come to an abrupt end in a 19-point effort. Thomas shot 4 of 21 from the floor and 1 of 6 from 3-point range while committing seven turnovers.“It’s frustrating when you don’t get any calls and you feel like you’re getting fouled,” said Thomas, who did have seven assists and five rebounds. “We gotta do a better job of holding our head and trying to stay positive, though. It’s just a learning lesson for us.”
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction
Cleveland has won three straight and seven of the last eight meetings against the Celtics while going 4-3-1 ATS along the way. More importantly, the Cavs want to send a message to the Celtics that they are not quite ready for prime time and that if they meet in the playoffs, they can hang it up.The Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games, 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games following a straight up win and a bankroll-boosting 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall. Conversely, the Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall, 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games against their Eastern Conference counterparts and a winless 0-6 ATS in their last six home games. The Cavs win by eight to cover the spread as slight road faves.
