🔊Is it really time to end Cleveland’s fantastic unbeaten streak? The Cavaliers have achieved 15 victories in the first 15 matches of the new NBA season, however in the next match the team will have to face the reigning champion of the league. Bookmakers do not believe in the guests and consider Boston the favorite for the match. In this situation, we will try to analyze all the details to provide you with an accurate prediction.
Direct clashes
In head-to-head matches, Boston has a slight advantage in results. Out of a total of 83 games, the reigning NBA champion defeated their opponent on 44 occasions, while Cleveland managed to win 39 times. Also, one should not forget that these teams met in the quarterfinals of the previous edition of the tournament, and then the Celtics advanced to the next round, winning the series with a score of 4-1.
Boston Celtics
Boston continues to trail Cleveland in the Eastern Conference standings. Since the start of the season, the team has suffered only 3 defeats, having 11 victories under its belt. However, in many cases the Celtics did not play their best. A great example is the last game against Toronto. It looked like the reigning NBA champion was playing on their own court against the worst club in the East at the time. What could go wrong? However, Boston underestimated its opponent, with 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter they were down by 2 points and with great effort took the match to overtime. Yes, the team still got the job done (126-123), but a bitter feeling remained regardless.
Cleveland Cavaliers
On November 18, Cleveland matched the second-best start in NBA history – 15-0. The Cavaliers handled the Hornets without any problems on their field (128-114) and continue to remain undefeated. With this victory, Cleveland became the league’s fourth all-time team to start the season with a 15–0 record. At the beginning of November the idea arose that Kenny Atkinson’s boys had started to slow down (114-113 and 116-114 with Milwaukee, which is not in the best condition), but now the team is once again demolishing everyone on its I walk. Even a huge number of unforced turnovers (20) and rebounds lost under their own basket (17) did not affect the final result.
Editor’s forecast
According to bookmakers, Boston is the favorite for the next match. However, our editorial team does not believe that these Celtics are capable of stopping Cleveland. Yes, Boston has the strongest roster by NBA standards, however right now the team is not demonstrating the best basketball. Even teams like Toronto (123-126 after overtime) and Atlanta (117-116), which are not highly rated in the league, played on par with the defending champion on the road. The Cavaliers, trying to set a record for the best start in NBA history, will certainly do everything possible to achieve the necessary result in the next meeting. However, we will take a safer bet to minimize the risks – Cleveland victory with handicap (+5.5).
Will the prediction be right? We invite you to vote and leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
