Celtics Underdogs Again In Game 2 Vs. Cavs; Cleveland’s Finals Odds Improve
The Boston Celtics will look to even their first-round NBA playoff series with Cleveland at one game apiece Tuesday night when they take on the Cavaliers in Game 2 as heavy 11-point underdogs at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Boston came up short in Game 1 on Sunday, dropping a disappointing 113-100 decision to the Cavs and failing to cover as 9.5-point underdogs at the sportsbooks.
The loss ended the Celtics’ six-game straight-up and against-the-spread winning streak, which earned them the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference standings, setting up the series with No. 2 Cleveland. Boston’s winning streak included a pair of SU and ATS wins over the Cavs, whom they faced in a home-and-home series in the final days of the season.
Those recent wins came against a Cavaliers squad, however, that was missing LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, who saw few or no minutes as they rested in preparation for playoff action.
Irving looked well rested Game 1, leading the way with 30 points, while Love added 19 points and 12 boards as Cleveland handed the Celtics their first SU road loss in a month.
Boston now enters Tuesday night’s Celtics vs. Cavaliers betting matchup at Quicken Loans Arena with 10 SU wins in their last 14 road contests. The Celtics also are a surprising 5-3 SU in their last eight visits to Cleveland, but just 2-6 ATS.
But with the Cavaliers’ dominant performance in Game 1, oddsmaker confidence in the Celtics has begun to slide, with their odds to win the NBA championship tumbling to 250-1 after opening the playoffs at 150-1 at the online sportsbooks.
Cleveland, who opened the postseason alongside the Golden State Warriors as 11-5 favorites to emerge as NBA champions, has improved slightly to 21-10. Those odds place them just behind the Warriors, now at 19-10 after taking a 2-0 series lead over the New Orleans Pelicans.
The defending champion San Antonio Spurs remain a strong 7-1 bet, despite their 107-92 Game 1 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, who have vaulted to 8-1 after opening the postseason at 18-1.
The Chicago Bulls have seen their odds rise to 10-1 after taking a 2-0 series lead over Milwaukee, while the Bucks now sit as 750-1 longshots. The Atlanta Hawks trail at 12-1, followed by the Houston Rockets at 14-1, and the Memphis Grizzlies at 20-1.
The Dallas Mavericks — who face the Rockets on Tuesday night — and Washington Wizards sit well back of the pack at 66-1, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers and Toronto Raptors at 75-1, and the Pelicans and the Brooklyn Nets at 500-1.
Thumbnail photo via David Richard/USA TODAY Sports Images
