The Cleveland Cavaliers had the Boston Celtics number the last time they met up in Cleveland. NBA Picks experts remember that the Cavs were listed as 3.5 underdogs and the over/under was posted at 186.5. The final score was 109-104 (OT) in favor of the Cavs. Can the Celtics beat the Cavs without Kevin Garnett? Lebron James is probably very happy about his team's chances tonight since they are 2-1 without Garnett.
Boston (36-8) at Cleveland (26-20)
Tip Off: Tue, Feb 5, 2008 7:00 PM ET
Line: SportsBetting.com
NBA Picks: Boston +3, Total OVER 185
The Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Boston Celtics tonight with Lebron James's team the 3 point favorite at home with SportsBetting.com, at Quicken Loans Arena, for some slammin NBA action. Get your NBA pick in now.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have eight wins in their last ten games after their most recent, 98-84, home win over the L.A. Clippers. Lebron James had 28pts, 7 assists and 11 reb. The big man under the basket, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, had 22pts and 13 reb. The Cavs are averaging 97 PPG with the majority of them coming from the 3-point line. They aren’t the greatest at scoring from the field, ranked 28th , but they are the third best team at pulling down offensive rebounds.
On defense is where the Cavs are better. They allow an average of 97.6 PPG but struggle at defending in the paint. They are the seventh best team at preventing their opponents from shooting the 3-pointer. The go to guy for the Cavs is Lebron James who averages 30 PPG, 7 AST and 2 STL. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is a rebounding and blocking animal. The Cavs currently sit in 2nd place in the Central Standings. They are 22-24 ATS, 8-13 ATS at home and 11-9-1 over/under at home. SportsBetting.com has the total set at 185 points in the Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers match up.
The Boston Celtics have six wins in their last ten games after their most recent, 96-90, home win over the Dallas Mavericks. They got the win without Kevin Garnett thanks to Ray Allens 26pt night and Paul Pierce’s 26pts. The Celtics blew them away in the paint. Kevin Garnett will NOT be playing again tonight due to an abdominal Injury. The Celtics offense is averaging 99.2 PPG with the most of their points coming from the field and the 3-point line. They need to improve on their offensive rebounding, which is currently ranked 26th.
Their defense is where the Celtics shine. They allow a league low 88 PPG, they excel at stopping opponents from shooting in the paint and at preventing the 3-point shot. The go to guy for the Celtics is Paul Pierce with 20 PPG, 5 assists. Kevin Garnett is their lead blocker and rebounder, but he’ll be out tonight. The Celtics are currently in 1st place in the Atlantic Standings. They are 27-16-1 ATS, 13-6-1 ATS on the road and 10-10 over/under on the road.
Bottom Line: The Celtics have much better defense while the Cavs offense averages 97 PPG. The Celtics are much better perimeter shooters. Go Celtics! Get your NBA pick in now .
