Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game 3 Odds, Predictions & Player Prop Picks (May. 11)

• The Boston Celtics are 7.5-point road favorites over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 3
• We’ve made our Celtics vs Cavaliers Game 3 prediction, including player prop bets
• Read below for Boston vs Cleveland predictions, odds and player props

The Boston Celtics visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, May 11 for a pivotal Game 3 in their Eastern Conference Semifinals series. Tipoff is at 8:30 PM ET on ABC from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

The series is tied 1-1 after the Cavaliers bounced back with a 118-94 win in Game 2. The Celtics are 7.5-point road favorites with the over/under set at 211.5 points at sportsbooks.

Let’s analyze the Game 3 NBA odds, as we provide our Celtics vs Cavaliers Game 3 prediction.

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Odds – Game 3

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Odds as of May. 11 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out the available DraftKings promos for Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs. If you already registered at DraftKings, check out the best NBA betting apps.

Celtics Betting Trends

Boston looked unstoppable in a 120-95 Game 1 win but fell flat in Game 2. The Celtics shot just 41.3% from the field and 22.9% from three after hitting 39% of their threes in the opener. They were also outrebounded 44-31.

Jayson Tatum leads Boston with 25.0 points per game in the series but is shooting only 41.2%. Jaylen Brown is averaging 22.0 points but went 0-for-5 from deep in Game 2. Derrick White, the Game 1 hero with 25 points, had just 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting in the loss.

For the playoffs, Tatum is putting up 21.7 points per game, down from his 26.9 regular-season average. Brown is at 23.6 points, and White is at 21.0 per game. The Celtics are 4-4 against the spread (ATS) and 3-5 to the over in the postseason.

The Celtics need more from Jrue Holiday, who had only 4 points in Game 2. His offense is even more critical with Kristaps Porzingis still sidelined by a calf injury. Boston’s defense, which led the NBA in efficiency, must be much sharper after allowing Cleveland to shoot 54.7%.

Cavaliers Betting Trends

Cleveland showed its resilience with the Game 2 rout in Boston. Five Cavs scored in double figures, led by Donovan Mitchell’s 29 points. Evan Mobley had a playoff career-high 21 points with 10 rebounds and Caris LeVert added 21 points off the bench. The Cavs shot a scorching 46.4% from three.

Mitchell is averaging 29.0 points in the series to raise his playoff average to 29.2 per game. Mobley is at 16.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game vs Boston. Darius Garland, held to 9 points in Game 1, bounced back with 14 points on 4-of-5 from deep.

"If Evan Mobley plays like this, they can win a championship in the next three years, if he plays like this the rest of the series, baby, clear your June,"

– Brian Windhorst on Evan Mobley’s performance last night

(Via @ESPNCleveland ) pic.twitter.com/IulBj46DGG

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 10, 2024

The Cavaliers are 6-3 ATS and 5-4 to the over in the playoffs. They are 4-0 straight up and ATS at home.

Cleveland again played without center Jarrett Allen, who is questionable for Game 3 with a rib injury. Mobley and the Cavs dominated the paint anyway with a 60-44 edge in points in the paint. Another strong inside game and hot outside shooting could put the Cavs up 2-1.

BOS-CLE Player Props

NBA Player props are available for Boston vs Cleveland, with Donovan Mitchell (28.5) and Jayson Tatum (27.5) sporting the highest point over/unders.

Odds as of May 11, at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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Here are some of the player prop bets we’re targeting for tonight’s game:

Donovan Mitchell Under 28.5 points (-111): Mitchell had to work hard for his 29 in Game 2 and the Celtics will throw more looks at him. He’s gone under this total in 5-of-9 playoff games.

Evan Mobley Over 26.5 points + rebounds (-105): Mobley has hit this over in 4-of-5 games with Allen out, averaging 21.6 points and 11.6 rebounds in that span. He should stay hot at home.

Jayson Tatum Top Scorer (+180): Tatum is overdue for a signature playoff performance. Even in a “down” postseason he’s still leading the Celtics in scoring. This is a potential bounce-back spot.

Celtics vs Cavaliers Game 3 Prediction

I’m expecting a strong response from Boston after the Game 2 clunker. The Celtics still haven’t put together a complete game in this series but they have the championship pedigree and depth to take a road game. Tatum is poised for a big night and the defense will be much sharper.

Interestingly, teams that lost Game 2 at home as a favorite and are road favorites in Game 3 are 17-9 SU and 15-11 ATS (58%) since 2003. They tend to bounce back well in this spot. There’s a reason Boston are still heavy favorites in the Celtics vs Cavs series odds.

Look for Boston to stick to its formula, knock down shots, and get the road win and cover here. The Celtics will keep their composure and remind everyone why they had the NBA’s best record.

BOS-CLE Game 3 Pick:

• Celtics -7.5 (-110)