After a thrilling Game 7 on Tuesday which saw the home team come out victorious by 10 points, the Boston Celtics will now move on to the Eastern Conference Finals where they will meet the Cleveland Cavaliers starting this Thursday, the 18th of May which we have NBA betting tips for.
An unlikely Celtics player was the hero in Game 7 as Kelly Olynyk exploded for 26 points while star point guard Isaiah Thomas continued his scoring ways, adding 29 points. The win sets up an interesting matchup with the Cavs and particularly their superstar LeBron James, who has a storied history with the Celtics.
Cleveland have looked unstoppable in the playoffs so far. Like their Western Conference counterparts in the Warriors, the Cavs swept their first two series against the Pacers and Raptors, shooting the lights out in the process.
It’s no secret that the Cavs posses an absolutely lethal 3pt shooting team. Already boasting some of the best shooters in the league in Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving, Channing Frye and Kyle Korver, it makes it even more dangerous when LeBron James is also shooting over 40% from down town in the playoffs so far.
TIP: LeBron James to score 33+ and Cleveland to win - $3.50 at Ladbrokes
The Celtics do have one of the better 3pt defending teams in the league with great wing defenders in Marcus Smart, Avery Bradley and Jae Crowder, but stopping the Cleveland long ball will be difficult especially with Tristan Thompson under the rim.
The Cleveland big man is one of the best rebounders in the league, and a high percentage of Cleveland’s open 3s come from him collecting offensive rebounds. It doesn’t bode well for the Celtics who have been a bottom five rebounding team all year. This is definitely the biggest concern for the Celtics, and one I’m struggling to see past.
TIP: Tristan Thompson OVER 11 Rebounds – $1.95 at CrownBet
We are getting some decent odds for Cleveland away from home with the line at just 4. The Celts were good at home against the Wizards but lost their opening two Round 1 matches against the Bulls at home. We think the Cavs should have too much firepower here.
TIP: Cleveland -4 - $1.95 at Sportsbet
