Cavaliers vs Celtics NBA Game 2 Predictions, Odds & Best Bets (5/9): Boston Dominates Again

Today’s Cavaliers vs. Celtics NBA  Game 2 predictions and best bets are brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline is a market leader in sports betting, offering various options from the NBA playoffs to the UFC odds and everything in between.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics will meet for Game 2 of their second-round NBA playoff series on Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m., airing live from TD Garden on ESPN.

The Inevitable Rematch ?#ALLINCELTICS presented by @FDSportsbook | Ep. 1 pic.twitter.com/CjV1f0tlzO

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 7, 2024

Game 1 wasn’t even close as the Celtics notched a massive 120-95 victory over the Cavaliers at home. Five different Boston players recorded 14-plus points, including Jaylen Brown, who paced his teammates with 32 points on .667/.667/1.000 shooting splits.

Can Cleveland win in enemy territory tonight? Or will Boston find a way to take the commanding 2-0 lead?

Let’s answer those questions and discuss tonight’s best NBA bets by getting into my Cavaliers vs. Celtics Game 2 predictions and picks.

Cavaliers vs Celtics NBA Betting Tonight (5/9)

Cavaliers vs Celtics Game 2 Information

• Matchup: No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 1 Boston Celtics (BOS leads 1-0)
• Venue & Location: TD Garden (Boston, MA)
• Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024
• Game Time: 7 p.m. ET
• How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Celtics Game 2: ESPN

Celtics vs Cavaliers NBA Game 2 Betting Odds & Spread

Celtics vs. Cavaliers NBA odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Thursday, May 9 at 10:59 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Cavaliers vs Celtics Spread

• Cleveland Cavaliers +13.5 (-110)
• Boston Celtics -13.5 (-110)

Celtics vs Cavaliers Over/Under

• Over 212 Points (-110)
• Under 212 Points (-110)

Cavaliers vs Celtics Moneyline

• Cleveland Cavaliers (+650)
• Boston Celtics (-910)

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Cavaliers vs Celtics NBA Betting Trends

• Cleveland is 0-7 straight up in its last seven road games.
• Boston is 18-2 straight up in its last 20 home games.
• Cleveland is 1-6 ATS in its last seven games vs. the Atlantic Division.
• Boston is 3-6 ATS in its last nine games on Thursday.
• The total hit the Over in four of Cleveland’s last six games.
• The total hit the Over in six of Boston’s last eight games vs. Cleveland.

Cavaliers vs Celtics Game 2 Predictions & NBA Picks Today (5/9)

There’s little that the Cavaliers did in Game 1 that suggests they can beat the Celtics on the road tonight.

For starters, Cleveland’s shooting was atrocious in the series opener. The Cavaliers shot a putrid 41.1% from the floor and 26.2% from the three-point line, playing a big role in their scoring just 95 points. It didn’t help that the likes of Max Strus and Darius Garland struggled to shoot the ball on top of their bench combining for only 15 points.

On the flip side, the Cavaliers couldn’t do anything to stop the Celtics from scoring. Boston dropped a whopping 120 points on .489/.391/.857 splits while outscoring Cleveland by 15 points in the second half alone. In fact, Joe Mazzulla’s team didn’t trail for a single second beyond the first five minutes of the game

The Celtics also destroyed the Cavaliers in the paint, outrebounding them 55-38. Jayson Tatum led the way with 11 rebounds while Luke Kornet wasn’t too far behind with 10 in 21 minutes played off the bench.

The Celtics dominated the Cavaliers up and down the court in Game 1. 

An upset victory is even more improbable when you consider the Cavaliers’ recent road struggles. After all, Cleveland has lost seven consecutive road games ahead of Game 2, being outscored by an average of 19.3 points per game. That includes a minus-23.3 average point differential in the 2023-24 playoffs.

Meanwhile, the Celtics are 18-2 SU in their last 20 home games dating back to the regular season. Additionally, they’ve won four straight home games against the Cavaliers while only losing to them once in 10 outings at TD Garden since the beginning of 2019.

Both teams will be shorthanded tonight, though. The Celtics will be without Kristaps Porzingis, who’s set to miss his third straight game with a calf injury.

As for the Cavaliers, Ty Jerome (ankle), Dean Wade (knee), and Craig Porter (ankle) are all sidelined again while Jarrett Allen (ribs) is expected to be a game-time decision.

Kristraps Porzingis (calf) will be sidelined again in Game 2. 

After how lopsided Game 1 was, we’re taking the Celtics to win again tonight. Boston looks like a legitimate championship contender whereas Cleveland appears to be nothing more than a pretender. If the Cavaliers don’t find a way to look like a completely different team, we could have another blowout on our hands.

13.5-point spreads worry me, though, so let’s stick with the Over on the 212-point total. After all, the last eight Cavaliers-Celtics matchups saw an average of 228.0 points scored, finishing with more than 212 on seven of those occasions.

Whether it’s a blowout or not, let’s expect more points than projected.

Cavaliers vs Celtics NBA Game 2 Prediction: BOS wins

Best Cavaliers vs Celtics NBA Bet: o212 Total Points (-110)

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Best Cavaliers vs Celtics NBA Game 2 Prop Bet (5/9)

After his tremendous Game 1 performance, it’s a no-brainer to back Derrick White to record o3.5 threes made (+120) for the best Cavaliers vs. Celtics Game 2 prop.

White was lethal from deep last game, sinking seven of his 12 three-point attempts. The veteran guard is now averaging 4.7 threes made with a 50.0% success rate in his last six games, which includes hitting the Over on this prop in each of his last three outings.

Having come through on his prop in two of his last three home games against the Cavaliers, too, I expect White to be a menace from downtown throughout Game 2.

Best Cavaliers vs Celtics Game 2 Prop Bet: Derrick White o3.5 Threes Made (+120)

Get 50% up to $1,000 on your NBA player prop picks today at BetOnline

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