LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers are finally moving in the right direction this season after notching up their first winning streak of the year against the Nuggets and Jazz. The Cavs and their suddenly clicking offense put that modest win streak on the line in Boston as they take on a Celtics team that has been involved in its share of high-scoring games this season.
Get informed about more of Friday night’s top NBA action by checking out or previews of the Heat vs. Hawks and Spurs vs. Lakers.
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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Betting Preview
Where: TD Garden, Boston
When: Friday, November 14, 2014, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Cleveland Cavaliers -6 at Boston Celtics +6; total 213.5 – view all NBA lines
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers
It took them awhile, but the Cleveland Cavaliers many expected at the start of the season has finally arrived in their last two games. The Cavs rocked the struggling Nuggets 110-101 in Denver on Friday and set a new season-high in points in their 118-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday. The Cavs covered the spread in both games after failing to cover in three of their first four games.
[sc:NBA240banner ]The Cavs offense is finally clicking after some very disappointing performances, including a 102-100 loss to the Utah Jazz which saw them get just six assists. The ball has since been moving much better, as evidenced by their 51 dimes in 80 field goals made since.
After a slow start by his MVP-calibre standards, LeBron James has led by example, averaging 10 assists to go along with 27 points and nine rebounds per game over his last two games. His running mates, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, are also getting more comfortable in the offense. They combined for 54 points and 10 made threes in their win against the Pelicans.
The Cavs weren’t exactly facing great (or even decent) defenses in the Nuggets and Pelicans, who are both in the bottom 10 in Defensive Rating as of Nov. 14, but the Celtics aren’t any better. The impressive play of James, Love and Irving should face little resistance against a Boston D that is one of the worst in points allowed (106.4) and three-point defense (40.6 percent) this season.
Betting on the Boston Celtics
One of the most dependable trends that have been established over the first couple weeks of the season is that any game involving the Boston Celtics will involve a ton of points. The Celtics, as of Nov. 14, rank fifth in points per game (104.6) and third in points allowed (106.4), which has sent the total going over in six of their first seven games.
Head coach Brad Stevens has loosened the reins on his offense, allowing for a more up tempo style of play. The Celtics are currently fifth in the NBA in pace with 98.36 possessions per 48 minutes.
That means more opportunities for them to score, and score they have. Point guard Rajon Rondo, the league’s leader in assists with 11 per game, has been excellent since his return and has orchestrated an offense that’s sixth in Offensive Efficiency. Jeff Green (19 PPG) has been a solid first option, while Avery Bradley (16 PPG) has emerged as a consistent offensive threat.
The Celtics should be able to put up some more points against a Cavs team that, while improved offensively, still has a long way to go on defense. Cleveland hasn’t allowed less than 100 points since their 95-90 opening night loss to the New York Knicks.
However, more possessions also mean more chances for the Celtics’ opposition to score, which they been unable to stop. The injury to rookie Marcus Smart has prevented Stevens from unleashing the rabid pressing Smart-Bradley-Rondo line-up that helped the Celtics recover from a big deficit against the Mavericks earlier in the season.
The lack of any sort of rim protection has also cost them dearly, and could cost them again with James coming to town. The Celtics are allowing the second-most points in the paint (46.6 points per game) this season.
Writer’s Prediction
The Cavs continue their upward momentum as they cover against the Celtics on the road. Create a betting account now and follow the exploits of LeBron James and the Cavs all season long.
