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The NBA regular season continues with games on Wednesday. The San Antonio Spurs will hit the road and take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. It's time to continue our NBA odds series and make a Spurs-Cavaliers prediction and pick.
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These two teams have had somewhat different starts to the season. The San Antonio Spurs have been struggling this season and are coming off their first win in four games. While the Cleveland Cavaliers have looked good and have won three of their last four matches. This should be an interesting match between two teams trending in opposite directions.
Here are the Spurs-Cavaliers NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Spurs-Cavaliers Odds
San Antonio Spurs: +5.5 (-106)
Cleveland Cavaliers: -5.5 (-114)
Over: 216 (-110)
Under: 216 (-110)
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Why The Spurs Could Cover The Spread
The San Antonio Spurs have had an underwhelming season, to say the least. The Spurs have just been one of those teams that have consistently come up short. Like every team in the league, they have had to face injuries and deal with COVID, but that's not their main shortcoming. Rather, the Spurs are just lacking a roster that is capable of making a deep run this year. Through their first 54 games, the Spurs have only 20 wins and 34 losses. They are coming off a 25 point win over one of the only teams in the league worse than them, the Houston Rockets. San Antonio is still capable of winning on Wednesday, but this game will prove to be an uphill battle.
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The Spurs roster is top-heavy, San Antonio leans on their starters to make up for their lack of depth, and sometimes it works. However, the problem with this strategy is that when their starters are struggling, the bench is unable to come in and pick up the slack. In their win over Houston, five players contributed 25+ minutes of playing time, four of which played for 30+ minutes. It's not uncommon for a team of San Antonio's caliber to ask more of their best players, but when facing a tough team like Cleveland, this strategy could leave them coming up short.
One of the biggest things working in San Antonio's favor is their current lack of injuries. The Spurs have only two players listed on their injury report. Both Lonnie Walker and Tre Jones are listed as day-to-day and are questionable for Wednesday's game. Beyond those two players, the Spurs are healthy and ready for battle. If the bench can help relieve some pressure from the starters, San Antonio could steal this win on the road.
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
The Cleveland Cavaliers have found surprising success this season. While they have had plenty of ups and downs, through it all they have managed to impress. Through their first 54 games, they have nearly the opposite record of San Antonio, with 33 wins and 21 losses. Cleveland is coming off an impressive 13 point victory over the Indiana Pacers. It seems like the Cavs are finally finding their groove again, and this Cleveland team is looking poised to make a run. San Antonio is a very beatable opponent, and at home, the Cavs are right to be favorites in this matchup.
One of the reasons that Cleveland was struggling was because their best player, Jarrett Allen was in a bit of a slump. Well, that slump appears to be over and the Cavs are rolling. In their matchup with Charlotte, the Cavs big man dropped 29 points and 22 rebounds. In their win over Indiana Allen had 15 points and 17 rebounds. When Allen is playing up to his potential, this Cavs team looks exponentially better. Even when Evan Mobley is struggling, as he has been the past two games, Allen's stellar performance more than makes up for it. If the big man can have another big night then expect big things from the Cavs.
One thing standing in Cleveland's way is injuries. The Cavs currently have four players listed on their injury report. Two of those players, Darius Garland and Caris LeVert are listed as questionable for the match. Lauri Markkanen remains out. While these injuries are certainly difficult, they are not devastating to Cleveland. The Cavs have enough talent on their roster to overcome this adversity and come out ahead on Wednesday.
Final Spurs-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick
The Cavaliers are the better team here. While the Spurs could end up playing them close, Cleveland should at least be able to win this game and, most likely, by a somewhat wide margin. Now that Jarrett Allen is back and playing well, the level of play of this Cavs team is significantly elevated. If Evan Mobley can put in a solid performance as well, then the Cavs should dominate. Pick Cleveland to win and cover.
FINAL SPURS-CAVALIERS Prediction & PICK: Cleveland Cavaliers -5.5 (-114)
FINAL SPURS-CAVALIERS SCORE PREDICTION: Cavaliers 109 – Spurs 102
