The 2022-23 NBA season continues on Friday, Oct. 28 with another slate of exciting matchups. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics are set for a clash at 7:30 p.m. in a matchup that fans won’t want to miss.
"When it comes to the punishment, it's just. I made a mistake."
Grant Williams reacts to his suspension from #Cavaliers game this Friday, after being ejected during #Bulls game. pic.twitter.com/d9oeOFutHr
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 27, 2022
After a season-opening loss, the Cavaliers have now won three straight games. Their most recent victory was a 103-92 effort against the Orlando Magic, led by Jarrett Allen’s 18-point, 16-rebound double-double.
Meanwhile, the Celtics had their three-game winning streak snapped with a 120-102 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday. It was just a poor performance by Boston, highlighted by the team shooting 37% from the field while committing 24 fouls, four of which were the technical variety.
There’s a lot to take in before Friday’s Cavaliers vs Celtics game. Fortunately, Betting News has gathered the game’s odds while also having a prediction and best bet for tonight’s contest.
Game odds are via FanDuel as of Friday, Oct. 28 at 8:52 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.SpreadCleveland Cavaliers +6.5 (-112)Boston Celtics -6.5 (-108)Over/UnderOver 217 Points (-110)Under 217 Points (-110)MoneylineCleveland Cavaliers +200Boston Celtics -245
Cavaliers vs Celtics Prediction: Celtics 116, Cavaliers 107
Cavaliers vs Celtics Picks: Celtics -6.5 (Best Value: -110 at FanDuel) & Over 217 Points (Best Value: -110 at FanDuel)
A lot of the Cavaliers’ success over the last three games can be attributed to one man: Donovan Mitchell.
Mitchell — Cleveland’s biggest offseason acquisition — has paced his team in both points (27.7) and assists (6.7) over the last three games. Though he’s only shooting 40.3% from the floor in that span, he’s making 3.3 three-pointers on 8.3 attempts, which is good enough for a 40% success rate.
Having said that, Mitchell only had 14 points in the Cavs’ victory against the Magic. The former Louisville product shot an abysmal 26.3% from the field and 14.3% from beyond the arc, so a better performance is needed against a stronger Celtics team.
The Cavaliers have had some issues holding on to the ball, though. They’ve averaged 14 turnovers during their three-game winning streak, ranking 12th-worst in the NBA over that stretch.
Fortunately, the Celtics have had issues taking the ball away. For the second season in a row, Boston is bottom-10 when it comes to steals per game, ranking dead last this year with 5.5 per contest.
Still, the Celtics have more than enough offensive firepower to counteract a slow defensive start. Jayson Tatum has been having a monster season, averaging 32.5 points on .556/.375/.903 shooting splits. Furthermore, Jaylen Brown is also averaging 24.0 PPG while shooting 46.9% from the field.
Boston will be shorthanded, though. Grant Williams will be serving his one-game suspension after making contact with a referee earlier this week. The Celtics will feel his absence, especially with how front-heavy the Cavaliers are.
Still, I do think that the Celtics’ defensive schemes are good enough to slow the Cavs down. Tatum, Al Horford and Blake Griffin can still handle things in the paint, while Boston’s offense might be too much for Cleveland to handle.
I’ll take the Celtics covering the 6.5-point spread as well as the total hitting over 217 points. That’s a fairly low projected total and both sides have enough offense to get the job done here.