[sc:NBA250 ]Isaiah Thomas and the rest of the Boston Celtics will be looking to make it three wins in a row when they travel to Ohio for a date with the Cleveland Cavaliers. This marks the second time that these two clubs will meet this season and it was the Cavs who emerged victorious—at the TD Garden—during their first encounter. Can the Celtics get their revenge? Or will Cleveland impose their will once again?
Read on further for a comprehensive look at this Eastern Conference showdown. If you’re yearning for more NBA action, check out our other previews: Spurs vs. Mavs and Thunder vs. Warriors.
[sc:NBAArticles ]Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
When: Friday, February 5, 2016, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Boston Celtics (+7) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (-7); total: 210.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: CSNE, FSOH
Betting on the Boston Celtics (29-22)
[sc:NBA250 ]With four starters finishing in double-figures, the Boston Celtics successfully came away with a thrilling win over the visiting Pistons on Wednesday night, 102-95. Leading the charge was none other than Isaiah Thomas, who had a game-high 17 points, five boards and seven assists. He is now averaging 19.0 PPG and 6.4 APG in his last seven outings.
Thomas will once again try to guide the Celtics to another win when they pay the Cleveland Cavaliers a visit at Quicken Loans Arena this evening. Boston is 4-6 SU and 3-6-1 ATS in its previous 10 road games.
Expect Thomas, who carries team-bests of 21.4 PPG and 6.6 APG this season, to waste no time in piling up the points in this one. He’s played considerably better away from home with averages of 22.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG and 6.7 APG across 26 road games.
Besides him, look to the pair of Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder to take some of the pressure off Thomas on offense. The two are posting at least 14 points apiece per game and Bradley, in particular, will be striving to put on another solid performance against the reigning Eastern Conference champions. He scored 17 points on 5-of-12 shooting during their first meeting opposite Cleveland this season.
It’s worth noting, though, that the Celtics will really have to work for their points in this one. They’ll be matching up against the third-best defensive team in the league right now. Cleveland is only giving up 96.7 PPG this year.
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Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (35-13)
On the other side, the Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to bounce back from a rare loss. They came up short versus a Kemba Walker-less Hornets team last Wednesday night, 106-97. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving combined for 49 points and 11 assists in that game but their efforts were laid to waste, unfortunately.
Now, James and co. will hope that a trip back home could immediately turn things around for them when the Boston Celtics, who have won six of their past seven games, pay them a visit. Cleveland is 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS in its last 10 games at Quicken Loans Arena.
James and Irving are bound to make a lot of noise. Both have had a lot of success against the Celtics throughout their careers, averaging 29.7 PPG and 22.7 PPG respectively.
Furthermore, James has been filling up the stat sheet lately, tallying 24.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG and 7.7 APG in his past seven contests. That stretch includes their bout with Chicago on January 23, during which he almost had a triple-double with 26 points, 13 rebounds and nine dimes.
Kevin Love, meanwhile, should be another key factor for the Cavaliers. He’s only shooting the ball at 42.3 percent this season, but continues to compensate for it through his rebounding prowess. Love is contributing 16.0 PPG and a team-high of 10.6 RPG. He also has 23 double-doubles already under his belt.
Writer’s Prediction
Cleveland’s (-7) wins, but fails to cover the spread. Create a betting account now and create a winning NBA parlay.
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