NBA Spreads: Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
The Boston Celtics will look to avoid a second straight loss against a team with a losing record when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Celtics fell 85-83 at Washington on Saturday, despite leading by as many as 16 in the first quarter. Boston doesn’t figure to have any trouble getting back on track against a Cavaliers team that has lost 17 straight overall and 21 straight on the road.
Taking a look at the NBA spreads for tonight’s game, oddsmakers have the Celtics favored by 17.5-points over the Cavaliers with the total set at 194.
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While the Cavaliers continue to lose game after game, they have came close to getting a win. Cleveland got within two points at Chicago late in the game, but ended up losing by 11. Last night the Cavaliers took four-point lead into the fourth quarter, but wound up losing on a last second shot.
Antawn Jamison had a team-high 26 points to go along with eight rebounds, and has been a consistent threat offensively for the Cavs. Jamison is averaging nearly 24 points and 7.5 rebounds over his last five games, but could be in for a long night if the Celtics decide to bring their game and show up defensively.
Daniel Gibson added 19 points and Ramon Sessions contributed 16 points, but this team is still dealing with a lot of injuries, and its going to be hard for this team to even keep this game within 20 points.
The Celtics beat the Cavaliers 106-87 at Cleveland back on Nov. 30, but its unlikely the Celtics have forgot about the Cavaliers 95-87 win back on Oct. 27, and if Boston makes this game personal, they are going to have the spread covered by halftime.
Boston will more than likely be without Shaquille O’Neal, but with the likes of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett still in a Celtics uniform, it really just depends on how serious these players take this game.
In the Celtics last game against the Wizards they had a 10 points lead going into the second half, but managed just 27 points over the final two periods, including just 11 points in the fourth quarter when you expect the Celtics to take over the game.
Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and Rondo each scored in double figures, but Garnett led the way with just 17 points. While the Celtics can win with a bunch of different players contributing, they aren’t going to win many games with just four players scoring in double figures, especially when none of them reach the 20 point mark.
For tonight I think Boston is going to come out and take care of business against the Cavaliers, and will more than likely win this game by at least 18 points, but this is one of those spreads that you are better off just avoiding unless you have the inside scoop on whether or not the Celtics care if they blow out Cleveland or simply win the game.
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