The Boston Celtics aren’t being given much of a chance to win their Eastern Conference finals series against the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers.
The C’s had the best record in the East during the regular season and will open the conference finals at home Wednesday night as a result, but that isn’t swaying experts from picking the Cavs to reach the NBA Finals for a third straight season.
In fact, all 24 ESPN.com experts predicted a Cavaliers triumph, and only one of them picked the series to reach a Game 7.
The Celtics are embracing the underdog role, and the lack of support from the media and fans certainly will fuel their motivation to shock the world.
Here’s a roundup of expert predictions on Celtics vs. Cavs.
ESPN’s Basketball Power Index: Cavaliers 55 percent
Zach Lowe, Jackie MacMullan and 22 other ESPN experts: Cavaliers
FiveThirtyEight model: Celtics 52 percent
Sam Amick, USA Today Sports: Cavaliers in five
Ethan Skolnick, CBS Sports: Cavs in five
Sean Deveney, Sporting News: Cavs in five
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
