NBA
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics Preview: Odds, Tips and Prediction
Date: Friday 28th February 2025 Start time: 7:30 pm local time (00:30 am BST) Venue: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts Last meeting: February 4th 2025, Boston Celtics 112-105 Cleveland Cavaliers For the second time this month, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers meet up for this top-of-the-table Eastern Conference clash.
Jayson Tatum//Getty Images
For the second time this month, the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers meet up for this top-of-the-table Eastern Conference clash. Both teams are distant leaders in the East, with the Cavaliers having a six-game advantage over the defending NBA champions. The importance of this fixture could be vital as both teams will aim to close out the regular season as the top seed. Which organization will prevail?
View all the important information with SportsBoom as we have produced a detailed preview. This article will investigate both teams’ records, and head-to-head history, as well as us sharing our valued bets.
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Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
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Boston Celtics: 4/7 (1.57) – 63.69%
Cleveland Cavaliers: 7/5 (2.40) – 41.67%
Forecast odds – Betting available on 1Win closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics have produced many fantastic games throughout regular season history. Without a doubt, both teams are in fine form this season as the two leading seeds in the Eastern Conference. Both organizations are without a doubt a firm favourite to make it to the playoffs.
This matchup has seen 229 regular season matches in NBA history, with the reigning NBA champions coming out on top by some margin. The Celtics have won 141 games, an impressive record, whereas the Cavaliers have only picked up 88 wins. It has to be mentioned that the last four games have seen both teams win two games each, showcasing how good both teams are as of late.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/25 Season | February 4, 2025 | Boston Celtics 112-105 Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2024/25 Season | December 1, 2024 | Cleveland Cavaliers 115-111 Boston Celtics |
| 2024/25 Season | November 19, 2024 | Boston Celtics 120-117 Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2023/24 Season | March 5, 2025 | Cleveland Cavaliers 105-104 Boston Celtics |
| 2023/24 Season | December 14, 2023 | Boston Celtics 116-107 Cleveland Cavaliers |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Boston Celtics
- Record: 40-16
- Home Form: 17-10
- Road Form: 23-6
The reigning NBA champions, the Boston Celtics, currently sit second in the Eastern Conference, with the organization six games behind their opponents, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics should make it to the playoffs quite comfortably, but the franchise will be looking at trying to replicate their previous season where they posted a dominant 64-18 record. Despite 16 defeats this season, the Celtics will no doubt be ones to watch as the regular season ends.
The franchise’s best player is unquestionably Jayson Tatum, as the shooting forward displays impeccable form on a game-by-game basis. The 26-year-old shooting forward has only missed three games this season and is averaging as the lead operator in points, rebounds and assists per game. His stat line of 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists make him one of the best players in the league, highlighted by his immense versatility.
Having played in as many games this season as Tatum, Derrick White has been the franchise’s best point guard this season. White is averaging 16.1 points per game, in addition to 4.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists. His effectiveness when shooting sees him posting the best numbers of his career, bettering his peak years in Boston and his previous team, the San Antonio Spurs.
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Record: 46-10
- Home Form: 26-4
- Road Form: 20-6
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the dominant team in the Eastern Conference as they are the number one seed with a 46-10 record. They are in mightily impressive form on their home turf, losing four games out of 30 matches so far. The Cavaliers are on the right track to securing the first seed in the East heading into the playoff season. Will the Cavaliers extend their advantage at the top over the second seed Boston Celtics?
The lead shooter within the organization is 28-year-old Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell’s game has regressed from previous years but is still posting a high figure of 24 points per game. This places him 19th in the NBA, surprisingly low considering the franchise’s place in the Eastern Conference and the NBA as a whole. He is also posting 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists, securing his place as the team’s second-leading scorer.
The Cavaliers’ center Jarrett Allen is in his fifth year with the franchise and is averaging 13.6 points per game. Allen once again is a key vocal point in the team, having started in every game thus far this season. His points per game averages are down on previous years, but it’s fair to admit that his rebounding is up there with one of the best seasons of his career thus far. He is on the cusp of reaching the top ten in the NBA.
Value Bets
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Jayson Tatum, Over 25 Points and Over 5 Rebounds: Jayson Tatum will be an incredibly important game for this matchup as the 26-year-old historically has averaged 23.8 points and 7.6 rebounds across 25 games. Tatum has posted at least 25 points on eight occasions in his last ten games, in addition to posting double digits in rebounds six times. Our prediction expects Tatum to post over 25 points and 5 rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell, Over 30 Points: Donovan Mitchell has played against the Boston Celtics 19 times in his career, averaging a more than impressive 30.3 points per game in games spanning over eight years. These numbers are more than impressive, and SportsBoom expects him to be at the forefront of the team’s offensive structure for this game.
Prediction: Boston Celtics to win
This is a mammoth game for both organizations, and it should be a fantastically close game as recent games have indicated. In conclusion, we predict the Boston Celtics to win this game, as this team are better suited to high-pressure situations. They completed the job earlier in February and it could be yet another close game.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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