Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Boston Celtics Preview & Prediction (October 29, 2025)
The Boston Celtics are just two years removed from winning an NBA title, and yet on Wednesday night, they will be staring a 1-4 hole in the face. Can they bounce back and start salvaging their 2025-26 NBA season, or will they give in at home to the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers?
Cleveland certainly looks like the better team so far, as they’re off to a strong 3-1 start. The Cavs dropped their season opener to the Knicks, but bounced back with wins in each of their last three contests. They’ll have to take care of business against a well-coached, feisty bunch on the road, but they stand out as the preferred bet at first glance.
Boston is without serious star power with Jayson Tatum seemingly shelved for the entire year (Achilles), but they still have Jaylen Brown and a host of viable guards that are always looking for their shot. The Celtics could cave under the pressure, or they could flex their resiliency muscle and fight their way back to 2-3.
Want to know how to bet on the Cavaliers vs. Celtics game? I’ll break down the matchup and latest odds, while pointing you to the top picks for this game.
Game Details
- Matchup: Cleveland Cavaliers (3-1) vs. Boston Celtics (1-3)
- Date & Time: Wednesday, October 29, at 6:00 p.m. ET
- Venue: TD Garden, Boston, MA
- How to Watch: ESPN
Offseason / Roster Changes
We are now several games into the 2025-26 NBA regular season, but here is a quick recap of what happened to these teams over the offseason:
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavs had the best record in the Eastern Conference last year, but couldn’t even reach the NBA Finals. They didn’t panic, though, as they opted to obtain more depth by swinging a trade for Lonzo Ball.
That turned out to be a smart move, as the team knew going into the new season that top point guard Darius Garland would be on the shelf to begin the year. Cleveland didn’t do much other than that, and will be leaning extra hard on their key stars until Garland returns.
Boston Celtics
Boston’s offseason was a lot rockier. For starters, they had to come to terms with superstar forward Jayson Tatum succumbing to a torn Achilles. The franchise tried to combat that by swinging a trade for scorer Anfernee Simons, and also brought in some big bodies to try off-setting the departures of big men Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
Overall, however, the Celtics are down two superstars, three of their usual starters, and suddenly lack the overall talent or depth that made them a championship contender.
Early Season Performance & Trends
Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland lost their first game of the year to a good Knicks team, 119-11, but they responded with a three-game run and now are in position to contend for the best record in the Eastern Conference again.
They’re doing this without starting point guard Darius Garland, leaning on depth pieces like Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson to chip in around their star core. The good news is Donovan Mitchell and co. have answered the bell, as both he and Evan Mobley are getting it done to the point that the Cavs have yet to dip below 111 points in any game.
Cleveland’s offense is just a middle-of-the-pack unit overall (14th) in terms of points per game, but the Cavs are running the floor at the league’s 7th fastest pace and getting three-pointers up (8th most attempted) and making them (8th most makes).
While the offense is allowing them to rock with anyone, Cleveland’s defense is their calling card. The Cavaliers presently rank 6th in points allowed per game, and they are keeping teams in check in transition (2nd), shutting them down inside (5th), and defending the three as well as anyone (25th).
Balanced with plenty of star power and depth, the Cavs seem intent on erasing last year’s failure and taking back the Eastern Conference.
Boston Celtics
Life without Jayson Tatum is every bit the bummer we’d expect it to be. Boston’s trademark defense surprisingly has gone nowhere (3rd in points allowed per game), but the Celtics still stand in at just 1-3 through their first four games.
Boston is playing a slow brand of basketball to help their defensive efforts and make up for not having Tatum’s nightly 27 points. It’s allowed them to be top-10 in defensive efficiency, but it’s not doing their overall offense any favors.
Jaylen Brown leads an offense that has clearly struggled (26th in scoring), as the chemistry and consistency simply hasn’t arrived yet. The team ranks dead last in assists per game and just 28th in points in the paint, as they are largely built around three talented isolation ballers at the moment.
The good news? Boston can still shoot the rock. The Celtics aren’t efficient and aren’t playing team basketball at a high level on offense, but they are getting by on sheer volume. They only rank 25th in actual three-point percentage, but they are getting up the 10th most long balls per contest, and they are connecting at the third-best rate.
None of this resembles who Boston was just a few months ago, and it’s likely the recipe for a disastrous season if head coach Joe Mazzulla can’t find some answers – fast.
Head‑to‑Head / Historical Context
Cleveland and Boston have run into each other more than a few times, with the two Eastern Conference foes facing off 230 times previously during the regular season.
Both teams have been near the top of the league for a good chunk of the last two decades, and they’ve traded blows – both in the playoffs and in the regular season. They last met in the postseason in 2024, where Boston made quick work of the Cavs (4-1) en route to a title.
The two sides split the season series last year (2-2), with the Cavs winning the most recent matchup (123-116) in February. This has been a relatively high-scoring series, as both sides have topped at least 100+ points in each of the last 12 meetings.
It’s been a pretty even series lately (Cavs are up 4-3 over the last seven meetings), but Boston has dominated, lifetime, with a 141-89 advantage.
All of this is fun to note, but we have not seen a matchup between the current iterations of these teams. Cleveland is down one key starter, but otherwise look like themselves. Boston is down three starters from last year and looks lost by comparison.
Key Matchup Breakdown
Cleveland is getting by just fine without Garland, thanks to the presence of Donovan Mitchell, who is pouring in over 31 points per game. Sam Merrill has been the big surprise, as he has been red hot to start the year and is putting up over 17 points per contest.
Merrill and Mitchell are torching the nets from long range, while the Cavs are getting quality interior play from big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The inside/outside play is as good as it was a year ago, and should be able to find success against a Boston defense that is giving up some production from deep.
The key to this game is going to be Mitchell and Mobley’s aggressiveness, however. They have been key cogs in an offense that isn’t afraid to get to the free throw line, while Boston ranks dead last in free throw percentage and 21st in free throw attempts allowed per game.
Boston is not playing team basketball at a high level right now. They are surviving on volume from long range, and “surviving” may not be the correct term considering their 1-3 start.
That’s simply the strategy they’ve deployed, and while it’s leading to a lot of made three-pointers, Boston’s offense is still struggling (26th in scoring and 30th in assists).
It’s quite arguable they can’t truly fix it until Tatum eventually returns, so for now they’re stuck with hero ball from the likes of Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, and Anfernee Simons. That group is producing to a certain degree, but the approach hasn’t led to much continuity or efficiency.
Naturally, points are hard to come by, making a matchup with Cleveland’s defense look positively brutal on paper. Unless Boston comes out and is white hot from deep, they could be in for a long night.
The Cavs will try to push the tempo in this one (7th in pace), but the fact that this game is in Boston could play into the Celtics wanting to slow things down. Even so, the Cavs have a stingy defense across the board even despite playing fast, as they are not allowing teams to score on the fastbreak, inside, or from long-range.
Playing slow and tight is going to hurt Boston even more than usual in this matchup. Their best bet is to try to run with the Cavs, get up a ton of threes, and hope their shot is falling.
- Sharing is caring: Boston needs to get away from Iso Ball and get back to sharing the ball and finding the open man. Cleveland is still 10th in assists allowed per game, though, and it’s an area the Celtics have struggled mightily so far.
- Volume is king: Boston’s offense is sputtering, but they get up a ton of threes and due to having several quality shot-makers, they’re making a lot of them, too. Cleveland’s outside defense (25th) is their weak spot currently.
- Anyone but Spida: Boston is playing slow and can still defend. The key to this game is to make sure Donovan Mitchell doesn’t take over. If they can force Evan Mobley or someone else to try to carry the load offensively, they have a shot.
It’s too early in the year to get worked up over scheduling, travel, or fatigue. Injuries would be the main thing to watch. We know Garland and Tatum won’t play, and that hurts both teams.
However, Sam Merrill popped up on the injury report, and that’s fairly significant due to the production he was bringing to the table. That’s another playmaker and outside shooter Cleveland can’t turn to on Wednesday night.
For Boston, they appear to be at full strength. They are still severely undermanned compared to where they were a year ago, but they are as healthy as they can possibly be at the moment, otherwise.
The only other intangible is that this game is in Boston. Cleveland’s only loss this year came on the road, and they lost 11 games on the road a season ago (compared to 7 at home).
Betting Odds & Market Interpretation
Check out the latest Cavaliers vs. Celtics odds at FanDuel for Tuesday night:
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
Cavaliers | -4.5 (-105) | -180 | Over 232.5 (-112) |
Celtics | +4.5 (-115) | +152 | Under 232.5 (-108) |
What the Market Suggests
The line leans in favor of the Cavs, which tells us how the public and Cleveland view the gap between these two teams right now. Cleveland looks a lot more like who they were a season ago than Boston does, and with the Celtics on their home floor – a place they typically dominate – Cleveland being -4.5 is somewhat shocking.
That’s simply the state of these two teams, however. Bettors are technically getting really good value with Boston if you believe they’re better than their record shows, but all indications are that the Cavs are a smash right now.
From a Bettor’s Lens
The early thought is that the point spread is appropriate and that the ML is a steal no matter how you view this game.
Boston still has some solid players and historically are tough to beat at the TD Garden, so getting them at +148 is pretty rare. In that same breath, the Cavs lost just 11 games on the road last year (and just 18 throughout the entire regular season), so beating what amounts to a shorthanded Boston squad wouldn’t be that crazy.
The spread is a little dicey on the Cleveland side, making their -176 ML very appealing if you think they can win. Ideally the spread would be a bit thicker for the Celtics considering the injuries and roster turnover they’ve had. The +4.5 spread is in play, but given their current state and how they’ve performed, the lean is still the Cavs to cover as well.
The defensive prowess and Boston’s slow pace of play lean toward the Under as well. Both teams do have immense offensive upside, but injuries have bogged both teams down to the point where neither are top 10 offensively. If the defenses show up even a little bit, the Under is going to be an easy call.
Situational Considerations
It’s not as prevalent this early in the season, but this will be Boston’s third game in four days. Cleveland is also playing their third game in four days, and this will be their fourth road game to start the year. They’re 2-1 so far in such games, however.
Best Bets & Confidence Levels
| Bet | Recommendation | Confidence Level |
|---|---|---|
Cavaliers -180 | Winning on the road isn’t easy, but the Cavs are the healthier team, they have more talent, and they are more cohesive. Only a wild barrage from long range can save Boston in this one. | 8/10 |
Under 232.5 (-108) | Even if Boston stages the upset at home, this game is destined to hit the Under. Neither of these offenses are especially elite right now, while both defenses are still stout and the Celtics are one of the slowest teams in the NBA. | 8/10 |
Odds for Cavaliers vs Celtics are already moving as tip-off nears — key injuries and sharp money are driving the line. Stay ahead of market shifts and lock in the best odds at the top sports betting sites.
Final Score Prediction & Closing Thoughts
Final Score Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers 114, Boston Celtics 110
We should be in for a good game when the Cavaliers visit TD Garden on Wednesday night, but that doesn’t mean Boston will win. The Celtics will try to control the pace and connect from deep, but they don’t have the chemistry, playmaking, or interior presence to consistently get buckets in this matchup.
Donovan Mitchell may very well be the biggest star in this game, and he’s not alone, with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen set to dominate this game down low. Assuming Cleveland closes out on the perimeter, the Cavs should keep Boston’s three-point shooting largely corralled and escape with a nice road win.
There will be a decent amount of points, but pace of play and defensive aptitude should allow for this one to sneak in under the 231.5 total.
