NBA Odds: Celtics Small Home Underdogs Entering Pivotal Game 5
The Boston Celtics will be looking to avoid falling behind in their Eastern Conference finals matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers when they hit the floor for Game 5 on Wednesday as 1-point underdogs on the NBA odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston returns home after turning in disappointing performances in a pair of losses in Cleveland, capped by a 111-102 loss in Game 4 as a 7-point underdog on Monday that has evened the series at two games apiece going into Wednesday night’s Cavaliers vs. Celtics betting matchup at TD Garden.
The Celtics looked bound for their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2010 after storming to a pair of lopsided victories to open the series. Boston held LeBron James to a postseason-low 15 points in a 108-83 win as a 1-point home underdog in Game 1, and marched to a 107-94 win in Game 2 despite a 42-point performance from James.
But it has been all Cavaliers since the series moved to Cleveland. The Cavaliers claimed their second win of the playoffs by 30 or more points in a 116-86 rout as 6.5-point chalk in Game 3 and held Boston to an average of 17.5 first-quarter points in their two home dates in the series, forcing the Celtics to engage in unsuccessful games of catch-up in each contest.
With their comeback on home hardwood, the Cavaliers have once again taken over as favorites on the NBA playoff series prices, rebounding to -175 odds after tumbling to +185 underdogs following their loss in Game 2. Cleveland also has succeeded in resuscitating their NBA championship odds, which have climbed to +750.
The Cavaliers, though, will need to overcome a stretch of inconsistency on the road that dates back to early March if they are to claim their first lead of the series Wednesday night. Cleveland is only 3-4 straight up and against the spread in seven playoff dates away from Quicken Loans Arena this postseason, extending an uneven run that leaves it with an 8-9 SU and ATS record in 17 road outings since March 9.
Conversely, the Celtics have been dominant within the friendly confines of TD Garden, going 9-0 SU in postseason play, including a trio of outright wins as betting underdogs. Boston is also perfect ATS in its current 10-0 overall run at home.
Despite that recent success, the Celtics are just 4-8 SU in their last 12 home dates with Cleveland, and have not recorded three consecutive home wins over the Cavaliers in 19 meetings since January 2011.
