The first round of the NBA Playoffs has concluded, and round two is underway. This series features a matchup between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. Boston is likely to be without Kristaps Porzingis, but remains a hefty favorite to defeat the Cavaliers. Cleveland will continue to lean on Donovan Mitchell to carry the bulk of the offensive work.
Before Betting on Cavaliers vs Celtics
The Cavaliers escaped their first-round series against the Magic with a victory in Game 7. Home-court advantage proved to be crucial, with Cleveland going 4-0 at home and 0-3 on the road in the series. They’ll need to find a way to pick up a win on the road to take away the home-court advantage from Boston in the second round.
Donovan Mitchell has been doing everything for Cleveland so far this postseason, carrying the team into the second round. After scoring 50 of the team’s 96 points in a defeat in Game 6, Mitchell kept his foot on the gas, scoring another 39 points in the series-clinching victory. The Cavaliers will need someone else to step up and support Mitchell to have a chance at beating the Celtics.
Boston didn’t face a ton of opposition in their series against Miami, wrapping it up in five games. They were of course playing a Heat team that was without star F Jimmy Butler. Even so, the Celtics were likely to run away with the series regardless. They won 64 games this season, 14 more than the 2nd-place team in the East.
Their path to the Finals is wide open with injuries plaguing the entire conference. Unfortunately, the injury bug bit Boston as well, taking Kristaps Porzingis out of this second-round series. Without him, veteran C Al Horford will be asked to step up against the Cavaliers. Boston is fortunate to have someone as capable as Horford to fill in, but will lose some of their already thin depth in the process.
Cavaliers vs Celtics Offshore Odds
The Cavaliers are massive underdogs in this series, and for good reason. Boston was far and away the best team in the Eastern Conference, and Cleveland showed several moments of concerning offensive play in their series against the Magic. That being said, the Celtics are likely to play the entirety of this series without starting C Kristaps Porzingis, which provides the Cavs with at least one hole to exploit in their fight for an upset.
