Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics predictions: Who will win Game 1, NBA playoff series

There is little to no rest for the Cleveland Cavaliers. After beating the Orlando Magic on Sunday to advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs, the Cavs are back at it Tuesday in Boston against the Celtics.

Boston hasn't played in nearly a week after finishing off the Miami Heat in five games last Wednesday. That includes a 34-point win in the series finale.

There was arguably no better team in the NBA this season than the Celtics, who went a league-best 64-18 in the regular season. Against the Cavs this season the Celtics were 2-1. But Cleveland won the last matchup between the two teams, 105-104 on March 5.

Here's how our two writers who've followed the Cavs all season, Ryan Lewis and Nate Ulrich, view Game 1 and how they see the best-of-seven series unfolding. They were 7-0 in predicting the games in the Cavs' first-round series.

Cavs vs. Celtics prediction: Who wins Game 1 Tuesday night?

LEWIS: The absence of Kristaps Porzingis helps the Cavaliers' odds, but slowing down the trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White will be their most difficult test yet. They'll need more hero moments from Donovan Mitchell, but Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and at least one member of the bench is likely going to need to step into a major role. The Cavs might match up relatively well with the Celtics, but Boston won 64 games for a reason. I'll take the Celtics to take a 1-0 series lead. Celtics 108, Cavs 101

ULRICH: The Cavs have yet to win a 2024 playoff game on the road. They have yet to win a playoff game on the road under coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Getting over this specific hump to begin the Eastern Conference semifinals against the top-seeded Celtics in TD Garden seems like a stretch.. Celtics 110, Cavs 94

Cavs vs. Celtics prediction: Who wins NBA Eastern Conference semifinals series?

LEWIS: For the Cavs to have a shot at taking down the top-seeded Celtics, they'll need to capitalize on the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, who could potentially miss the entire series with a calf injury. They're also going to need Darius Garland to team up with Donovan Mitchell to a much greater degree than they did during the Magic series. Mitchell has never gotten past the second round and, for the Cavaliers, this series would be above and beyond anything they've done since 2018 in proving they're genuine contenders. Celtics win series 4-2

ULRICH: After the Cavaliers defeated the Magic 4-3 to advance to Round 2, All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell said the Cavs know they are “a contender.” I have the utmost respect for how Mitchell leads, and I believe it’s his duty to exude confidence and belief in the Cavs. Professional athletes often try to speak their aspirations into existence, and I think that’s what Mitchell is doing here. But are the Cavs really a contender? The proof just doesn’t exist yet. Defeating the Magic is a huge deal for the Cavs. Moving beyond Round 1 is a significant step for the franchise after last year’s 4-1 first-round loss to the Knicks. But it doesn’t make the Cavs a legitimate threat to win the NBA title in these playoffs. I believe the Celtics are a true contender. Celtics win series 4-1

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Cavs vs Celtics predictions for Game 1 and NBA playoff series