The NBA season carries on with a week six matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Our NBA odds series continues with a Trail Blazers-Cavaliers prediction and pick.

After an eight-game losing streak, the Portland Trail Blazers appear to have gotten back on track. With wins in two of their last three games, Portland looks as good as they have all season. The most recent win was undoubtedly their most impressive on the season. Playing at Indiana against a very good Pacers squad, the Trail Blazers won 114-110. Led by Jerami Grant, who put up 34 points on 66.7% shooting from the field, Portland was able to see this team flash some real potential. Continuing their Central division road tour, their next stop is Cleveland, where they will look to take down the Cavaliers. 

What once looked like a season headed in the wrong direction, the Cleveland Cavaliers have turned the ship around in a big way. The Cavaliers have won six of their last eight games and are back above a .500 record as they sit at 10-8 on the season. On Tuesday night's win, they dismantled the Atlanta Hawks from the second quarter on. Cleveland won the game by 23 points, and Donovan Mitchell went off for a 40-point, 11-rebound double-double, his first of the season. With the Cavaliers playing some of their best basketball, they will look for a similar result in Thursday's game at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NBA Odds: Trail Blazers-Cavaliers Odds

Portland Trail Blazers: +11.5 (-110)

Cleveland Cavaliers: -11.5 (-110)

Over: 218 (-110)

Under: 218 (-110)

How to Watch Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT

TV: Portland- Root Sports, Cleveland- Bally Sports Ohio

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Trail Blazers Could Cover The Spread

With a team that is getting healthier as the days go by, the Portland Trail Blazers have quietly had one of the best defensive backcourts in the NBA. Led by Malcolm Brogdon, Scoot Henderson, Matisse Thybulle, and Shaedon Sharpe, this group of guys have been on-ball pests. They have led the Trail Blazers to the fourth most steals per game with 8.8 per game. With this being a younger squad, vets like Brogdon and Thybulle must teach these first and second-year players and lead by example. Thybulle is averaging 1.5 steals and adding on 0.8 blocks per game, both of which are top four on the team. The Cavaliers depend on their backcourt to score points in bunches and pave the way to wins, but that will be tough against these stout Portland guards.

Unsurprisingly, these active hands have not only led to an abundance of steals and points off of turnovers but also poor three-point shooting from their opponents. The three-point defense Portland has played this season has been phenomenal. The Trail Blazers rank sixth in the league in the lowest three-point field goal percentage allowed. At only 34.8%, their opponents have struggled to convert from deep. Do not expect the Cavaliers to knock down 13 three-pointers like they did in Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread

Covering the spread is always easy when a team has the best player on the floor. That is precisely what the Cleveland Cavaliers have with Donovan Mitchell. He is coming off his second 40+ point performance this season and has played exceptionally well in November. During this span, he has led the Cavaliers to a 6-4 record, averaging 26.8 points, 5.4 assists, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. This all-around effort has led them to frequent covers. Moreover, Mitchell has Portland's number. In the three games he has played against the Trail Blazers since he was traded to Cleveland, Mitchell has averaged 31.3 points per game on 57.4% shooting. Expect another dominant showing from him in this contest.

Although the Trail Blazers have a lights-out three-point defense, that will not impact Mitchell and the Cavaliers too much. This Cleveland team has taken over games off points scored from drives to the basket. This team attacks the rim like few others in the league. The Cavaliers are averaging the sixth most drives to the basket per game with 51.2. Off of these, they are averaging 29.9 points and a league-leading 5.7 assists per game. The bait and switch they pull by drawing defenders into the paint all to kick out and find the open man is a thing of beauty. Considering Portland's frontcourt has been streaky throughout this season, look for points off of drives to be scored with ease by Cleveland.

Final Trail Blazers-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick

These two teams come into this matchup playing the best they have all season. The Portland Trail Blazers finally have some of their key players back on the floor and off the injury list. Due to that, they actually have one of the best defensive backcourts in the league. Brogdon, Sharpe, Thybulle, and Henderson will rattle Mitchell and Garland, especially on the three-point line. However, Portland's frontcourt is still heavily outmatched in this one, and because of that, I will be taking the Cavaliers. The tandem of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will be the difference in this game, and even if the Cavaliers cannot hit threes, their explosiveness in driving and attacking the rim will get them all the points they need to cover. Give me the Cleveland Cavaliers in this one.

Final Trail Blazers-Cavaliers Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -11.5 (-110)