Cleveland Cavaliers +6 (-103)
There’s no denying that the Celtics are better than the Cavaliers when both teams are full strength. Unfortunately for the Celtics, they are not at full strength. The most notable players sitting out for the Celtics are Jayson Tatum and Payton Pritchard. Pritchard has been an important player in the Celtics’ rotation, while Tatum is the team leader. According to Cleaning The Glass, the Celtics’ efficiency differential is +18 with Pritchard on the court and +9.5 with Tatum. You can see these players have a huge impact, and you can expect the Celtics to struggle without them.
The Cavaliers are getting healthier lately, and Collin Sexton is really breaking out as a solid player. He’s become a very efficient shooter. His eFG% has gone up from 52.1% to 57.6% since last year. According to Cleaning The Glass, his 3P% has also improved since last year, going up from 38.8% to 46.8%. His improved shooting has resulted in him averaging 26.8 PPG. The Cavaliers will also be getting Darius Garland back for this game. The Cavaliers’ efficiency differential is +11.7 with Garland on the court, so getting him back into the lineup is big.
The Cavaliers are on a three game winning streak, including two wins against arguably the best offense in the NBA with the Brooklyn Nets. The Celtics are missing some key players, which should cause them to struggle. I think the Cavaliers may win this game outright, so I will gladly bet on them to keep this game within six points.
