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The NBA season continues with games on Friday. The Cleveland Cavaliers will hit the road and take on the Portland Trail Blazers. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Cavaliers-Blazers prediction and pick.
These two teams have had different starts to the season. The Cleveland Cavaliers have been solid and have a record of 21-17. While the Portland Trail Blazers have not been good with a record of 14-23. This should be an interesting matchup.
Here are the Cavaliers-Blazers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Blazers Odds
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Cleveland Cavaliers: -6 (-110)
Portland Trail Blazers: +6 (-110)
Over: 216 (-110)
Under: 216 (-110)
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
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The Cleveland Cavaliers have been having an okay season. While they started off strong, they have since struggled with injuries and COVID. Through their first 38 games, they have managed to win 21 and lose 17. Cleveland has lost four of their last five games, with their most recent defeat coming at the hands of the Grizzlies by four. The Cavs are finally starting to get their roster back and will look to turn things around on Friday. This is a very winnable game for Cleveland so expect them to come out ready to dominate. They are still dealing with some injuries, but they had most of their guys back last game. If they can improve on their performance against Memphis then they could walk away on top.
The statistics in the Cavaliers-Grizzlies game ended up extremely close. The Cavs lost by four, but they had the edge in some crucial areas. Cleveland had more rebounds and assists than Memphis, however, they were behind in steals and turnovers. There were no notable differences among these teams, the game just came down to a few extra shots by the Grizzlies. However, it was a welcome sight to see most of Cleveland’s starters back on the court. The only way for this team to go is up and they will look to take that first step on Friday.
Now that both Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have returned this Cleveland team should feel a resurgence. However, injuries and COVID are still affecting the Cavs. The recent season-ending injury to Ricky Rubio left this team in a scramble. In his place, they found Rajon Rondo who is probable for Friday’s contest. This team is nearly healthy for the first time in a long time and they will look to battle on Friday. Cleveland started off the season strong and will look to return to their prior form, starting with a win on Friday.
Why The Blazers Could Cover The Spread
The Portland Trail Blazers have been one of the most underwhelming teams in the league this season. Through their first 37 games, they only have 14 wins and have amassed 23 losses. Portland has failed to be competitive in the majority of their games, and most of their wins have come over other weak teams. The Blazers have lost five of their last six games, with their most recent loss coming against the Heat by 6. Miami was vulnerable in that game, yet the Blazers were unable to take advantage. Portland is dealing with injuries and unavailable players and that will make Friday’s game all the more difficult. If they want to win then they will seriously need to step things up.
In Portland’s loss to the Heat, the Blazers were behind in some key metrics. Miami had 14 more rebounds and 11 more assists than Portland. This difference in efficiency and ball movement is extremely difficult to overcome. Beyond that, the Heat took and made more shots than the Blazers. Portland did a good job of getting to the line, shooting 36 free throws, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the scoring deficit. The Blazers were behind for nearly the entire game and only outscored the Heat in the third quarter. If Portland wants to win Friday’s match up then they’ll need to step things up.
Part of the reason this team has struggled is because of injuries and COVID. The most recent player added to the injury report for Portland is Larry Nance Jr. who will be unavailable for Friday’s match. Additionally, Cody Zeller has been upgraded to questionable. Yet two key players remain out for the Blazers. Both Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will not be playing on Friday. Not having their star duo has proven detrimental to the success of this team. Without Lillard and McCollum the Blazers have little shot of beating healthy teams. Their only hope is to match up against teams that are also suffering significant injuries.
Final Cavaliers-Blazers Prediction & Pick
This is a pretty easy decision. The Cavs are actually a solid team (when they're healthy), and they are at nearly full health for the first time in a long time. On the flip side, the Blazers are still dealing with the absence of their two best players. This combination of factors should lead to a dominant Cleveland victory. Pick the Cavs to win and cover.
FINAL CAVALIERS-TRAIL BLAZERS PICK: Cleveland Cavaliers -6 (-110)
FINAL CAVALIERS-TRAIL BLAZERS SCORE PREDICTION: Cavaliers 120 – Trail Blazers 103
