The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference heavyweight showdown.
The pregame narrative: Boston got the best of Cleveland in the playoffs last year but the latter has been the NBA’s pacecar through the end of January. Bet on the Cavs to win and Evan Mobley to stuff the stat sheet on Tuesday.
Check out my Celtics vs. Cavaliers picks for Feb. 4.
Celtics vs. Cavaliers picks
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Best bet: Cavaliers moneyline (-112)
Boston’s title run last year was a no-doubter.
The Celtics won 64 regular-season games — 14 more than any other Eastern Conference team — en route to a stress-free championship.
But things haven’t gone as smoothly this season, even with all of the same peices in place. The Celtics are 35-15 and have been a disasterous team to back against the spread:
- Boston is 19-30-1 ATS. As underdogs, the Celtics are 0-2 ATS and SU, losing those games by an average of 8.5 points.
- Cleveland, meanwhile, is a league-best 33-16-0 ATS and has already beaten Boston as a home favourite on Dec. 1 (115-111).
The Celtics are still a great team, but the championship hangover is palatable. They’re on a three-game win streak against bottom-feeders (Bulls, Pelicans, 76ers), and before that, they had lost five of 10 — including a blowout loss against the Raptors in Toronto.
Cleveland has put up 125-plus points in five of its last seven and will be rearing to make a statement agianst the team which bounced it from the playoffs last year.
Key stat: Cleveland is 24-3 at home this season with a +13.4 net rating (second-best in the NBA).
Quick picks
Mobley over 25.5 points and rebounds (-118): Mobley is having the best scoring season of his career and I expect him to be a force on Tuesday.
The power forward is posting career highs in the following categories:
- Points per game (18.3)
- 3PT% (39.8)
- FTA (4.0)
Adding a 3-point stroke and getting to the line has made Mobley a more dynamic scorer. He’s always been a solid rebounder, though, averaging at least 9.0 rebounds over the last three seasons.
Boston allows the eighth-most rebounds per game to power forwards, per Fantasy Pros.
Mobley is averaging 29.4 points and rebounds and has gone over this line in 27 of 43 starts (62.7%). That includes a 22-point, 11-rebound game against the Celtics in Boston on Nov. 19.
Picks made at 9:37 a.m. ET on 02/04/2025.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.