Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics: Game 5 betting predictions and odds for May 15

Tonight marks game five between the Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34, 22-19 away) and the Boston Celtics (64-18, 37-4 home). With a 3-1 series lead, the Celtics have their shot to send the Cavaliers packing tonight. But first, let's break down tonight's matchup and the series summary so far.

 (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Cavaliers and Celtics have been without their big men, Jarrett Allen and Kristaps Porzingis, for the entire series. As of this morning, Cleveland received news that struck a dagger through the hearts of Cavaliers fans and bettors. All-Star Donovan Mitchell missed all of game four with a calf injury and is officially out for tonight's matchup. Facing elimination, Cleveland will heavily rely on fifth-year guard Darius Garland, who scored 30 points in game four.

37-4 and 3-2 in the playoffs at home, the Celtics will look to close this one out. Although all signs point to Boston moving on, Cleveland managed to get themselves within seven points (109-102), and covered the 11.5-point spread as underdogs last game.  Favored by double-digits for the third game of the series, the Celtics looked flat outside of stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. With the Jays playing mainly "hero ball," Payton Prichard and Luke Kornet provided a 20-point spark off the bench.

THE CELTICS LEAD THE SERIES 3-1

With LeBron James courtside for the matchup, the Cavaliers nearly stole game four without their biggest star. Once trailing by a game-high 15 points, the Cavaliers took advantage of the Celtic's complacency. With a game-high 15 turnovers, Boston made things challenging for themselves. In a highly physical matchup, it was guards Max Strus and Caris LeVert, who combined for 34 total points. Although they pulled within seven points, the Cavaliers were ice-cold with the rock. Shooting 43.6 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from beyond the arc, Cleveland couldn't capitalize off Boston's misses. You simply can't win games when your starting unit goes 11-35 from deep, especially against Boston.

CAVALIERS DONOVAN MITCHELL HAS BEEN RULED OUT FOR GAME 5

With Donovan Mitchell out for the Cavaliers, the Celtics have the clear-cut advantage to win this series. With the line set at 14.5, the Celtics are now 16-point favorites on FanDuel. 1-1 at home against Cleveland, can Boston pull it out? Or can Cleveland force a game 6 with a short-handed roster? With Mitchell on the sidelines, the Cavaliers will miss their biggest star, who's averaged 29.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in the playoffs. For the first time all series, Jarrett Allen is questionable to suit up for tonight's game. If so, that will be a game changer on the boards for the Cavaliers.

With tip-off set to take place at 7:00 p.m. ET, the matchup will take place at the TD Garden, located in Boston, Massachusetts. Let's dive into how to bet on tonight's game, where I've compiled all the necessary data, odds, and statistics to facilitate informed betting predictions for Wednesday, May 15. If you're looking to watch the matchup, it will air on TNT. All of my bets will be made on the DraftKings Sportsbook app.

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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS FAN DUEL ODDS FOR MAY 15

MONEY LINE

• CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: +870
• BOSTON CELTICS: -1500

SPREAD

• CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: +15.5 (-110)
• BOSTON CELTICS:-15.5 (-110)

OVER/UNDER (TOTAL)

• OVER: 205.5 (-112)
• UNDER: 205.5  (-108)

BEST ODDS FOR CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS

• FanDuel currently has the best Celtics money line odds at -1500.
• The Boston Celtics are 15.5-point favorites against the Cleveland Cavaliers  FanDuel currently has the best odds currently at -110.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers are the underdogs by 16 points to cover the spread tonight. Caesars currently has the best odds at -105 for Cleveland to cover the spread
• DraftKings currently has the best odds for the total, which is set at -110 for the over (205), and Caesars for the under -105 (205.5)

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CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS. BOSTON CELTICS INJURY REPORT

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS INJURY REPORT

• C, CRAIG PORTER JR: OUT
• C, JARRETT ALLEN: QUESTIONABLE
• G, DONOVAN MITCHELL: OUT
• G, CRAIG PORTER: QUESTIONABLE
• G, CARIS LEVERT: QUESTIONABLE

BOSTON CELTICS INJURY REPORT INJURY REPORT

• KRISTAPS PORZINGIS: OUT - CALF

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS POST-SEASON STATISTICS & BETTING TRENDS

• *ATS = Against the Spread
• *O/U = Over/Under
• Best out of 16 current playoff teams

Last 5 Games 2-3
Last 10 Games 4-6
Season ATS Record 43-50-0
Season O/U Record 45-47-1
Last 5 Games ATS 3-2
Last 10 Games ATS 4-6
Last 5 Games O/U 3-2
Last 10 Games O/U 5-5
Offensive Rating (Rank) 104.1 (14)
Defensive Rating (Rank) 109.5 (4)
Points Per Game (Rank) 98.1 (14)
Pace (Rank) 94.09 (7)
Opponent Points Per Game (Rank) 102.8 (4)
Three-Point Percentage (Rank) 30.6 % (14)
Rebounds Per Game (Rank) 39.7 (14)
Last 10 Games ATS Wins: Orlando (-5.5,-3), Boston (13, 11.5)

BOSTON CELTICS POST-SEASON STATISTICS & BETTING TRENDS

• *ATS = Against the Spread
• *O/U = Over/Under
• Best out of 16 current playoff teams

Last 5 Games 4-1
Last 10 Games 8-2
Season ATS Record 47-39-5
Season O/U Record 6-43-2
Last 5 Games ATS 3-2
Last 10 Games ATS 6-3-1
Last 5 Games O/U 3-2
Last 10 Games O/U 5-5
Offensive Rating (Rank) 117.8 (3)
Defensive Rating (Rank) 105.5 (3)
Points Per Game (Rank) 107.6 (6)
Pace (Rank) 91.44 (15)
Opponent Points Per Game (Rank) 96.6 (2)
Three-Point Percentage (Rank) 36.8 % (6)
Rebounds Per Game (Rank) 45.1 (2)
Last 10 Games ATS Wins: Miami (-14.5, -9.5,-10.5, -13.5), Cleveland (-12.5, -7.5)

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATS: CAVALIERS VS. CELTICS

Season Matchups:

Game 1: Boston 120, Cleveland 113 ( Cleveland +11, Over 227)
Game 2: Boston 116, Cleveland 107 (Boston -8.5, Under 227.5)
Game 3: Cleveland 105, Celtics 104 (Cleveland +8.5, Under 217)
Playoffs Game 1: Boston 120, Cleveland 95 (Boston -12.5, Over 211)
Playoffs Game 2: Cleveland 118, Boston 94 (Cleveland +13, Under 212.5)
Playoffs Game 3: Boston 106, Cleveland 93 (Boston -7.5, Under 210.5)
Playoffs Game 4: Boston 109, Cleveland 102 (Cleveland +11.5, Over 204.5)

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SPREAD: BOSTON CELTICS TO COVER

• -14.5 (-110) DraftKings

I was able to grab the line at Celtics 14.5 early this morning, before Donovan Mitchell was ruled out. The line hasn't moved much, which tells me a lot of things. Without Mitchell for the second straight games, Caris LeVert has now popped up on the injury report. With three players listed out, the depth is getting smaller and smaller for Cleveland. Even though Boston suffered a few home losses in the playoffs this year, there will be minimal margin of error tonight for the Cavaliers. If Jarrett Allen is able to play for Cleveland, that will add a huge boost. If all five players on the injury report are listed as out,  J.B Bickerstaff may be forced to start Sam Merrill. The fact that Boston is favored by 16 tells me Allen is unlikely to play.

THE CELTICS HAVE AN EXCELLENT SPREAD RECORD AT HOME

With a 25-19-2 record against the spread at home, the Celtics have been efficient covering in front of their fans. 6-3-1 against the spread in their last ten, the Celtics have a 3-2 spread home record in the playoffs. Sure, the C's had two losses in five home games in both series, however, we simply can't forget their dominance. After all, Bostons's been favored by 11.5 or more points in four of the five games against Cleveland. Now tied with their biggest spread of the postseason sine game 1 against Miami, there's several reasons why I like the Celtics to cover tonight.

I do think the public is undervaluing the Cavaliers here in a must win scenario. The reason I say this is they came within close victory last game. With Garland leading the way with 30 points, and Max Strus pouring in 15, the Cavaliers have proven they can hang. However, the Celtics weren't pressing on the gas as hard as they could've, and and had a forgettable performance from Derrick White and Al Horford. When this team plays to full strength, they're more than capable of covering large spreads, as we saw in game three. While the Celtics only hold a 5 point differential (107.3 to 102) over the series, the absence of Mitchell and Allen will continue to be felt.

LINE MOVEMENT: CELTICS ARE NOW FAVORED BY -16

Although Cleveland averages 102 points in the series, the Celtics held them to under 100 points in three of the last four matchups. The no. 3 ranked defense in the playoffs, I expect Boston to keep Cleveland in check. Held to just 33.1 percent from beyond the arc, they have a -5.5 point differential in the playoffs. Compare that to the Celtics, who rank no. 1 with +11.3 differential. Second in opponent points per game (96.6), the Celtics are +2 on the boards for the series. With the third best offense over the playoffs, the Celtics are putting up 14 three-pointers a game, which is more than any other team. Although Evan Mobley is a force defensively, Boston has been able to take advantage of size and when Bickerstaff plays a smaller lineup.

CELTICS ARE ON THE VERGE OF ELIMINATING THE CAVALIERS

Boston must play better in transition, and have a better performance from Derrick White and Al Horford tonight. Truly inconsistent all season, it's hard to pick the Cavaliers, who are 1-4 against the spread on the road this postseason. We've seen Boston light up Cleveland in games one, three, and four, and that was with Donovan Mitchell. Although the Cavaliers have the roster to withstand all of their injuries, the Celtics will simply be too much for the Cavaliers at home. Especially with Jayson Tatum returning the his typical form. In their three losses agains Boston, the Cavaliers have an average point differential of -15. That alone, is above what I got the line tonight. If I'm being honest, I trust Sam Hauser, Payton Prichard, Luke Kornet, and the rest the Celtics bench to defeat the Cavaliers alone tonight.

I am choosing to pass for the Celtics money line, and the total for tonight. I'm confident the Celtics will close out the series tonight, hence why I'm not touching the money line odds at -1500. With odds that high, you would have to wager a considerable amount for very little return. Give me Celtics to cover

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