The Cavaliers host the Celtics in the NBA playoffs on Tuesday in Game 1! The Celtics have been great this season and so far in the playoffs and enter the series against the Cavaliers as a massive favorite. We now continue our NBA odds series with a Cavaliers-Celtics prediction and pick.

The Cavaliers have had a very good season this year on their way to the four-seed in the Eastern Conference for the second straight season. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland have led the way for the Cavaliers on offense and then Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley anchor their defense. They are a defensive-focused team and need to lean on their defense to even have a chance in this series. The Cavaliers have one of the best interior defenses in the NBA and that should be a major key in this series against a team as good as the Celtics, especially with how many different ways they can beat you.

The Celtics were the best team in the NBA all season. They had one bad game so far in the playoffs, but have dominated outside of that. They can come at teams in waves with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Derrick White, but then Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday are also stars in their own right. The Celtics are the better team in this game and series as a whole, despite the talent the Cavaliers have in their own right. The Celtics have been great and they are primed to make a statement in this series. The Celtics are on a mission to make the NBA Finals and this year is their best chance of getting there for the first time in a long time.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Playoffs Odds: Cavaliers-Celtics Game 1 Odds

Cleveland Cavaliers: +11.5 (-110)

Moneyline: +480

Boston Celtics: -11.5 (-110)

Moneyline: -650

Over: 209.5 (-110)

Under: 209.5 (-110)

How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Celtics Game 1 

Time: 7:00 pm ET

TV: TNT

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Cavaliers have been led by their defense this season and that will be the biggest key moving forward. They were seventh in both scoring defense and overall defensive rating, where they are allowing 110.2 points per game, and their defensive rating is 112.1. In the postseason, they are allowing 100.3 points per game, 42.0% from the field overall, and 30.9% from behind the arc. The Cavaliers have the best defensive big man duo with both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley being anchors down low. In the postseason, Allen leads the team in rebounds at 13.8 per game, while Mobley leads the team in blocks at 3.0 per game. Then, six players on the Cavaliers average at least one steal per game with Donovan Mitchell leading the way at 1.4 per game.

The Cavaliers' offense has been solid this season. They were 20th in scoring offense, where they were averaging 112.6 points per game. They were also 16th in offensive rating at 114.7 and then were ranked 12th in overall field goal percentage at 47.9%. In the postseason, they have been averaging 95.9 points per game, 44% from the field, and 28.7% from behind the arc. Four different Cavaliers average over double figures in scoring this series with Donovan Mitchell leading the way at 28.7 points per game. Darius Garland is the Robin to his Batman in the backcourt and he leads the team in assists per game at 5.4. Mitchell and Garland need to be better on offense for them to even have a chance against the Celtics.

Why The Celtics Could Cover The Spread/Win

The Celtics have been the most well-rounded team in the entire NBA this season. They were second in scoring at 120.6 points per game, eighth in field goal percentage at 48.7%, and then second in three-point percentage at 38.8%. Those numbers have not changed much in the postseason with the Celtics averaging 107.8 points per game, 47.4% from the field, and then 38.5% from behind the arc. Four Celtics are averaging over double digits with Jayson Tatum leading the way at 22.8 points per game and then he also leads in rebounds at 10.4 per game. Tatum is also the best passer in this series so far with 5.4 assists per game.

The Celtics' defense has been great. They were fifth in scoring defense at 109.2 points per game, second in field goal percentage defense at 45.3%, and fourth in three-point percentage defense at 35.2%. In the postseason, they are allowing 95.9 points per game, 43.8% from the field, and 32.9% from behind the arc. Four Celtics are averaging over one steal with Jrue Holiday leading the way at 1.4 per game. Three Celtics are also averaging over one block per game with Porzingis leading the way at 1.5 per game.

Final Cavaliers-Celtics Prediction & Pick

The Celtics are the better team and have a big advantage playing at home in this game. However, the Cavaliers are a better team than the Heat and should give the Celtics some problems in this series more than Miami did. This spread is too big, and the Cavaliers should cover, but the Celtics will still win.

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Final Cavaliers-Celtics Prediction & Pick: Cavaliers +11.5 (-110)