Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Betting Tips - NBA

Prediction published on 13/12/2023, 16:40  by Joseph King | Modified on 13/12/2023 at 17:27 in NBA Predictions

The Eastern Conference leading Boston Celtics take to the hardwood to face the ninth-place Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time in the last three nights. Boston won Tuesday’s meeting by a score of 120-113 thanks to a combined 71 points from the trio of Tatum, Brown and Porzingis. They’ll now be seeking their third straight win overall to extend their NBA-best record of 17-5. The Celtics have been the cream of the NBA crop with roughly a quarter of the season already in the books. They have the best adjusted net rating in the league at +8.4, nearly two points higher than second-place Philly at +6.5. What’s more, the Celtics are yet to lose at the TD Garden this season as they have racked up an 11-0 record in front of the home fans. They remain the only team in the NBA to still be unbeaten in their home gym.

Cleveland will be without their defensive anchor Evan Mobley for the fourth straight game as the third-year pro recovers from a knee injury. The Cavs are 1-2 in those games with a win over the Heat before losing to the Magic and Celtics. Mobley’s absence is a big blow for Cleveland but this team still ranks as one of the very best defensive units in the league. J.B. Bickerstaff has his Cavs team ranked third in the NBA in adjusted defensive rating (110.9) which makes them a tough out against any team. It’s been an up-and-down start for the Cavs so far this year who have been battling injury problems all season. Despite sitting ninth in the conference with a 13-11 record, Cleveland are a much better team than their record would suggest when fully healthy. Additionally, the visitors have played one of the toughest schedules so far as they rank fifth in strength of schedule.