Cavaliers vs. Celtics Game 3 Betting Preview, Odds, How To Watch

Many were thinking the Celtics would run through the Cavaliers easily in this second round matchup, but those Bostonians were in for a surprise in Game 2 as Cleveland came out swinging and pulled away in the second half for a 24-point win. Boston is the more talented team, but clearly the absence of Kristaps Porzingis is more impactful than many believed it would be.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics NBA 2nd Round Game 3 Betting Odds

All odds provided by Sports Interaction.

When to Watch and How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Celtics Game 3

The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers will renew hostilities in their Eastern Conference second round matchup at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse at 8:30PM on Saturday, May 11. To take in the action from Canada, tune into TSN or the TSN app. In America, viewers can flip to ABC to catch the contest.

Cavaliers vs. Celtics Game 3 Point Spread Betting Preview

You’d think this would be an easy pick: there’s no way the big, bad Celtics lose two games in a row, right? Well, believe it or not, nearly half of their 18 losses during the regular season came in the form of back-to-back defeats, as they lost two straight games on four different occasions. Their 11-8 ATS mark after a loss isn’t overly impressive either, so the Cavs have more of a chance than these Ontario sportsbooks seem to be giving them.

Game 2 was a classic example of why it’s hard to trust the Celtics, because their reliance on the three-point shot can really come back and bite them, as they shot just 22 percent from deep in the loss. Without Kristaps Porzingis, the starting lineup is shuffled slightly, and the Celtics bench all of a sudden looks quite barren. No one on their bench can create their own shot, so if threes aren’t dropping, they’re essentially useless.

Cleveland’s x-factor, Caris LeVert, made his presence felt in Game 2, putting up 21 off the bench. He’s the type of microwave scorer that Boston doesn’t have on the bench, and they say that role players usually play better at home, so LeVert should keep it rolling in Game 3.

Donovan Mitchell is clearly a man on a mission as well, and it seems Jrue Holiday and Derrick White can’t quite slow him down. Darius Garland also finally found his three-point shot, and if he can continue shooting well, this series could get very interesting.

The biggest factor here is the two big men that have missed the first two games. Porzingis’ absence meant that the Cavaliers scored a whopping 60 paint points in Game 2, as the aging Al Horford can’t quite protect the rim like he used to. Jarrett Allen on the other side is much closer to a return, which would be huge for Cleveland.

White was bound to crash back to earth at some point as well, and we’d expect him to play closer to his mean moving forward.

Mitchell and the Cavaliers recognize their chance to grab a stranglehold on this series after being written off before the opening tip of Game 1. We’re not saying the Cavs will definitely win this one, but we think Spida is hot enough right now to keep this one close regardless, so take Cleveland to cover a +7.5 spread at solid -105 odds.

Here are a few more NBA betting trends from this season to consider:

• Cavaliers are 4-4 ATS as the home dog
• Boston is 20-17-3 ATS as the road favorite
• Cleveland is 21-31 ATS after a win
• Boston is 11-8 ATS after a loss
• Boston is 6-3 ATS in their last 9 games
• Cleveland is 4-5 ATs in their last 9 games
• Boston is 29-26-4 ATS against the Eastern Conference

Best Cavaliers vs. Celtics Player Props

There may be no scorer hotter than Donovan Mitchell right now, other than maybe Jalen Brunson. Spida has put up 28+ in eight of his last 11 games, as he’s found his rhythm at just the right time. It’s about more than being hot though: it really feels like Mitchell is willing his team to wins lately, and he’s been able to get to his spots and make shots against a supposedly rugged backcourt of Boston.

He’s also not slowing down at home, as he’s scoring 29.7 points per game on 48 percent shooting at home this year compared to just 23.9 points on 44 percent shooting on the road. We’re rolling with the over on Mitchell’s 29.5 point prop at -110 odds.