The Cleveland Cavaliers (30-20) visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (23-25) on Friday night. Action tips off at 8:10 p.m. ET. Below we continue our NBA odds series with a Cavaliers-Thunder prediction, pick, and show how to watch.
Cleveland has won two of their last three games and sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers covered 53% of their games while 54% went under the projected point total. Oklahoma City has lost two of three and dropped to 11th place in the Western Conference. The Thunder covered 64% of ther games while 58% went over. This will be the second and final meeting between the two teams. The Cavaliers took the first matchup in Cleveland 110-102.
Here are the Cavaliers-Thunder NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Thunder Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: +1 (-110)
Oklahoma City Thunder: -1 (-110)
Over: 223.5 (-110)
Under: 223.5 (-110)
How To Watch Cavaliers vs. Thunder
TV: Bally Ohio, Bally Oklahoma
Stream: NBA League Pass
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET/ 5:00 p.m. PT
*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread
After a resounding 113-95 win over Houston last night, Cleveland has a short turnaround as they travel to take on Oklahoma City. Despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Cavaliers have an excellent chance to cover tonight thanks to their stingy defense. Cleveland allows the fewest points in the league (107 Opp. PPG). They do an excellent job limiting easy looks at the rim as they allow the fifth-lowest two-point percentage (53%) and the third-fewest points in the paint (45.8 Opp. PPG). Cleveland is also a strong rebounding team, ranking eighth in rebound rate. Their dominance on the glass could be especially critical given Oklahoma City's lack of size underneath.
Despite holding just a 10-15 record on the road, the Cavaliers have an excellent chance to cover what is essentially a pick 'em thanks to their big men. Jarrett Allen (14 PPG and 9.7 RPG) and Evan Mobley (15.2 PPG and 8.9 RPG) combined for 42 points and 23 rebounds the last time these teams met. Their strong nights underneath propelled Cleveland to a 48-40 advantage on the glass. Considering Oklahoma City's lack of size, the two bigs will likely be in for another monster night against the Thunder.
Regardless of how well Cleveland's bigs play, this game will likely be decided by the guard play. On the second night of a back-to-back, it's probable that star Donovan Mitchell will rest a lingering groin injury. That being said, Mitchell wasn't available for their previous matchup with Oklahoma City, and Cleveland still pulled away with an eight-point victory. Backup Caris LeVert saw a good deal of success replacing Mitchell – as he has all season. He scored 22 points in the win while draining 4/9 three-pointers.
Fresh off a 26-point, nine-assist performance against the Rockets, point guard Darius Garland could prove to be the X-factor for Cleveland tonight. Although Garland was limited to just 13 points the last time these teams met, he's been on fire in recent games. Across his last six appearances, Garland averaged 25.7 PPG and 9.8 APG while shooting 44% from the floor.
Why The Thunder Could Cover The Spread
Oklahoma City has a great chance to cover tonight given their strong 14-10 home record. The Thunder feature a sneakily-great offense that ranks seventh in scoring (116.9 PPG). They are especially potent from inside the arc, ranking third in points in the paint (55.8 PPG). Defensively, the Thunder leave a lot to be desired but are exceptional in one facet: forcing turnovers. Oklahoma City leads the league in forced turnovers (16.8 Opp. TOPG). That being said, they'll need a team effort on the glass if they want to pull ahead from one of the league's best rebounding teams.
Oklahoma City boasts one of the smallest starting lineups in the league. In their most recent matchup, their tallest started stood at just 6'8″. Tonight, with wing Lou Dort out, they will likely start one of Darius Bazley (6'9″) or Mike Muscala (6'11”) but will still be undersized relative to the Cavaliers. However, the Thunder can get away with that with excellent rebounding from their perimeter players. Guard Josh Giddey leads the team with 8.0 RPG and will look to have a major impact on the glass. Giddey does just about everything you could ask for, averaging 16 PPG and 5.8 APG to go along with his strong rebounding numbers.
Regardless of what they do on the glass, Shai-Gilgeous Alexander gives the Thunder a chance to cover on any given night. Coming off a 36-point showing against Atlanta, SGA has taken a leap into stardom this season. With 30.8 PPG, 5.6 APG, and an efficient 51% field goal percentage, SGA is a menace on both sides of the ball and will give Cleveland everything they can handle tonight.
Final Cavaliers-Thunder Prediction & Pick
Regardless of Donovan Mitchell's status, I like the Cavaliers to come out ahead tonight thanks to their massive size advantage down low.
Final Cavaliers-Thunder Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers +1 (-110)
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