Cleveland is still the online betting favorite in the NBA's Eastern Conference, but they know they may have to contend with Boston at some point, and no matter how many people say they're aging and over the hill, the Celtics are a team no one wants to face the postseason. The Celtics will welcome the Cavs to Boston on Thursday night in the opening game of TNT's weekly double-header.
Cavaliers vs Celtics odds – Thursday, February 25, 8:00 PM ET
The Cavaliers (44-14) ended a three-game skid with a 105-95 win over New Orleans on Tuesday night, and for once, they got a balanced performance on the offensive end as six players reached double figures. LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal had 20 points apiece, while James added 13 assists and five rebounds for the Cavaliers, who had just eight turnovers and shot 48.8% from the floor. Antawn Jamison is getting more comfortable with his new teammates, as he had 18 points and six rebounds, and if the Cavaliers can continue to get this kind of support from the secondary players, that makes James even more dangerous.
The Celtics (36-19) have a new face of their own, Nate Robinson, and he made his debut against the team that traded him, New York, after missing all three games since the All-Star break with the flu. Robinson had just four points in 16 minutes of a 110-106 win for Boston over the Knicks on Tuesday. All five Boston starters reached double digits, led by Ray Allen's 24 points, and the veteran has been on fire lately, averaging 21.8 points over his last five games. Allen was the subject of trade rumors right up until the deadline, and the Celtics may have picked up Robinson in case the 34-year-old continued to struggle. We're betting management is happy they didn't move him.
These two haven't played since opening night, when the Celtics pulled out a 95-89 win in Cleveland behind 23 points from Paul Pierce. James had 38 points and eight assists in the loss for the Cavaliers, who have dropped three of their last five overall to the Celtics. Cleveland have dropped their last nine in Beantown, and four of those have been by five points or less. The Celtics have been rolling since the All-Star break, and they'll only get better as Robinson gets used to the system in Boston, as it's definitely more disciplined than the run-and-gun way in New York under Mike D'Antoni. The Cavaliers are coming off disappointing road losses Charlotte and Orlando, and this will be the first half of an away back-to-back as they head to Toronto on Friday night. Look for James to do everything he can do to end the Boston jinx, with help from Jamison, who will go at Kevin Garnett.
NBA betting pick: Cleveland
