The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their last game by nearly 50 points, and now they’ve got to visit a Boston squad that has yet to lose a game on its home floor. The Celtics could also have Gordon Hayward back in the lineup after the star forward missed the past month with a broken hand.
- Date/Time: December 9, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Arena: TD Garden
- TV Coverage: Fox Sports Ohio, NBC Sports Boston
- Sportsbook Odds: Boston -13.5 | O/U 216
- Cavaliers vs Celtics Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
Oddsmakers need to hang some pretty lofty point spreads these days to get action on the Cavaliers, who are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games. The 13.5-point opener is the second-highest spread Cleveland has seen this year, and it’s the first time this season the Celtics have been laying double digits.
Cleveland News & Notes
In the wake of a recent report that the Cavaliers are tuning out first-year head coach John Beilein, the Cavs didn’t do much Saturday to convince anyone of anything otherwise.
Cleveland trailed the Sixers 79-36 at the half on Saturday en route to an embarrassing 141-94 loss, allowing Philadelphia to shoot 63 percent from the field and committing 17 turnovers that led to 29 Sixers points. The Cavs have now lost 12 of their last 13, and they’ve given up an average of more than 130 points in their last four road games.
Frustration is starting to boil over, particularly with veterans like Kevin Love. “When you’re getting beat like this … it’s not fun. It’s not fun right now,” said the veteran forward, who is reportedly being shopped around by the Cavaliers. “We’re not taking steps in the right direction and it’s pretty apparent, especially against good teams.”
The numbers back that up. Cleveland is a dismal 2-18 SU and 6-12-2 ATS in its last 20 games as an underdog of 5 points or more.
Boston News & Notes
The Celtics remain unbeaten at home this season, improving to 9-0 SU and 6-3 ATS at TD Garden on Friday with a 108-95 win over the Denver Nuggets. Their last three wins at home have come by double digits, and they’ve held opponents to an average of just 105.8 points per contest.
When the Celts are big home chalk, however, their tendency is to loosen up at the defensive end. They’re 12-7-1 to the OVER in their last 20 as double-digit faves at home, allowing 100-plus points seven times in their last nine in that situation.
Coming off big wins over Miami and Denver, Boston’s biggest challenge against the Cavs may be to avoid a letdown. Fortunately, the Celts could be buoyed by the return of Gordon Hayward on Monday. Hayward, who broke his hand a month ago, has resumed practicing and was listed as questionable on Sunday.
Betting Pick: OVER 216
The Cavs haven’t been able to stop anyone on the road lately, and Boston may let down defensively in a game the Celtics are almost certain to win.
- The Cavaliers are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games.
- The UNDER is 8-3 in Boston’s last 11 games.
- The UNDER is 12-5 in Cleveland’s last 17 games in Boston.
