The Boston Celtics will be looking to avenge their loss in last season’s Eastern Conference finals when they open the regular-season schedule on Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers as 3.5-point road underdogs on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston fell to the Cavaliers in five games in last spring’s postseason clash, and take a meager 3-13 straight-up record in their last 16 overall meetings with Cleveland into Tuesday night’s Celtics vs. Cavaliers betting matchup at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Celtics were dominated in their playoff matchup with Cleveland, falling by an average margin of 25.2 points per game over their four losses. Boston has kept things closer in road dates with the Cavaliers, going 2-4 SU and 4-1-1 against the spread in their last six visits.
Last spring’s playoff ouster didn’t prevent offseason dealings between the Celtics and Cavaliers. The teams grabbed headlines with a blockbuster trade in late August that saw Kyrie Irving go to Boston in exchange for a package featuring Isaiah Thomas.
Irving makes his Celtics debut on his old home hardwood but will be looking forward to playing at TD Garden, where he has averaged 36 points per game in 13 career appearances. However, Irving opens the season trailing on the NBA MVP odds, pegged at +1600, well back of former teammate LeBron James who leads the way as +400 chalk.
James is considered questionable for Tuesday’s night’s game as he nurses an ankle injury.
Rookie Jayson Tatum reportedly will see plenty of action for the Celtics in Tuesday’s season opener. The 19-year-old small forward was taken third overall by Boston in this year’s NBA Draft after racking up 16.8 points per game in 27 starts with the Duke Blue Devils last season, and has emerged as a +1000 wager on the NBA rookie of the year odds.
A strong start will be critical for the Celtics if they are to pay out on short -400 odds to repeat as Atlantic Division champions. Following Tuesday’s date with the Cavaliers, Boston begins a stretch of seven games that includes meetings with four opponents that failed to reach the postseason last spring.
The Celtics open their home schedule on Wednesday in the first of two dates this month with the Milwaukee Bucks before traveling to Philadelphia for a game against the youthful 76ers on Friday night.
Boston has taken six of eight from the Bucks, including three of four at TD Garden, but must contend with a Milwaukee squad that is 5-4 SU and 6-3 ATS in their past nine road matchups with the Celtics. Philadelphia has dropped 11 of 12 to the Celtics, but has covered in their past four meetings.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
