Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction & Preview - May 11, 2024 | Game 3, 2024 NBA Playoffs

The Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers matchup is one of the two 2024 NBA Playoffs games scheduled for Saturday. This will be the third game of their best-of-seven series, with the series tied 1-1. Cleveland won Game 2 118-94 on Thursday.

On that note, let’s take a look at the Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Game 3 preview, including the prediction, starting lineups and betting tips for May 11.

The Celtics hold a 139-87 all-time advantage, while the Cavs lead the playoffs 25-23. Cleveland won Game 2 behind Donovan Mitchell’s 29 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Boston was led by Jayson Tatum’s 25 points.

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers preview, prediction, starting lineups, odds and betting tips

Game 3 of the Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference second-round series is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The game begins at 8:30 p.m. EDT and will be televised nationally on ABC. Fans can stream the game live on fuboTV and NBA League Pass.

Moneyline: Celtics (-350) vs. Cavaliers (+275)

Spread: Celtics (-8) vs. Cavaliers (+8)

Total (O/U): Celtics -110 (o211) vs. Cavaliers -110 (u211)

Editor's note: The odds could change close to the game. The odds listed were as per available information at the time of writing.

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers preview

Much like their first-round series against the Miami Heat, the Celtics dropped Game 2 at home against the Cavaliers as well. While Boston completed a gentleman's sweep against Miami, it could be hard to repeat the same feat against Cleveland.

The Celtics struggled from the 3-point line on Thursday, combining for just 8-of-35 shooting. Cleveland, on the contrary, shot 46.4% from beyond the arc. Boston’s Jaylen Brown especially struggled, as he failed to convert any of his six 3-point attempts.

Cleveland got a statement win on Thursday. It had failed to win any games on the road in the Orlando Magic series, but upsetting the team with the best regular-season record should give the Cavs a lot of confidence. They are yet to lose a game at home this postseason.

While Mitchell led the charge in Thursday’s win, he got a lot of support in Evan Mobley’s 21 points and Darius Garland’s 14 points. Caris LeVert was impactful off of the bench with 21 points.

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineups, subs and rotations

The Celtics continue to be without Kristaps Porzingis, as he is sidelined with a calf injury. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla should start:

PG: Jrue Holiday SG: Derrick White SF: Jaylen Brown PF: Jayson Tatum C: Al Horford

Boston’s key substitutes should be Payton Pritchard, Luke Kornet and Sam Hauser.

Cleveland’s injury issues remain the same as the last game. Dean Wade (knee), Craig Porter (ankle) and Ty Jerome (ankle) are out, while Jarrett Allen is questionable with a rib injury. Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff should start:

PG: Darius Garland SG: Donovan Mitchell SF: Max Strus PF: Isaac Okoro C: Evan Mobley

The Cavaliers’ key substitutes should be Caris LeVert, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang and Tristan Thompson.

Editor’s note: These are predicted starting lineups, which could change depending on the availability of players uncertain to play.

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers betting tips

Jayson Tatum has an over/under of 27.5 points. Tatum averaged just 21.5 points in the opening two games of the series. Expect the Cavs to continue to limit Tatum’s offensive prowess. The Boston forward should end the night with less than 27.5 points.

Donovan Mitchell has an over/under of 29.5 points. He averaged 30.0 points at home against the Magic in the first round. Much of Cleveland’s hopes for a win on Saturday lies on Mitchell’s scoring. He should continue his good form and drop over 29.5 points.

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers prediction

Despite playing on the road and suffering a 24-point loss on Thursday, the oddsmakers favor Boston to win Game 3, and by quite a big margin (eight-point spread). If Cleveland’s home record is to be paid heed, the team should have something to say about it. We are predicting a Cavaliers win, with the team total staying under 211 points.