Top Contenders in the East and West meet for a cross-conference clash.
We’re back at it with another NBA betting prediction and pick for Sunday’s slate of action as the stage is set for the next cross-conference matchup between playoff bound teams. The Cleveland Cavaliers will visit the Los Angeles Clippers as both teams look for important wins at the season’s end. Check out our NBA odds series for our Cavaliers-Clippers prediction and pick.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently third in the Eastern Conference standings and they trail Milwaukee by just one game. They’ve alternated wins and losses over their last six and will face the Lakers the night prior on a back-to-back in Los Angeles. With Milwaukee in striking range, these last five games will prove to be crucial.
The Los Angeles Clippers are fourth in the Western Conference and they’ll want a strong close to the season to ensure their seeding. They’ve gone 7-3 over their last 10 games and have established themselves as a team to beat in the West. They’ll also be looking to even this season series against the Cavaliers at 1-1.
Here are the NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.Â
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Clippers Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: +4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +150
Los Angeles Clippers: -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -180
Over: 220.5 (-110)
Under: 220.5 (-110)
How to Watch Cavaliers vs. Clippers
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET/ 12:30 p.m. PT
TV: Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports SoCal, NBA League Pass
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Cavaliers Could Cover The Spread/Win
Positioned at the three-spot in the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a one-game lead over the Orlando Magic and can overtake the Milwaukee Bucks in the standings if their struggles continue. This would be their highest seeding in quite some time and it seems as though this Cavaliers team is built for a seven-game series when fully healthy. With Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell both healthy heading into the Playoffs, this team has a strong synergy between their All-Star backcourt and their versatile frontcourt.
The Cavaliers own the only other meeting against the Clippers and Donovan Mitchell led the way for them with 28 points. Jarrett Allen also saw a great matchup and notched 20 points and 17 rebounds his last time out against the Clippers. If the Cavaliers can stand tall in the paint and stay out of foul trouble, we should see both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen create issues for the Clippers in the paint.
Why The Clippers Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Los Angeles Clippers are effectively locked into their seeding in the Western Conference and they’ve been able to win five of their last six games without Kawhi Leonard in the lineup. It seems as though the Clippers are playing it safe with Leonard’s knee and they want him to be 100% fresh heading into their first-round playoff series. Still, the Clippers are managing without him and their recent wins have been a promising sign in the case of Leonard possibly missing time during the Playoffs.
The Clippers were outmatched their last time out against the Cavaliers and they couldn’t do much to contend on the boards against Cleveland’s frontcourt. Ivica Zubac and Mason Plumlee both provide strong presences in the paint, but they’ll likely have to spread the floor and play along the perimeters against Cleveland as well. With Leonard as their leading scorer last time against the Cavaliers, they’ll need to look towards James Harden or Paul George to lift them in this one.
Final Cavaliers-Clippers Prediction & Pick
This will be a very exciting matchup between two teams heading to the Playoffs. They’re both in similar boats when it comes to the skill level of both squads, but this game will mean a little more something to the Cavaliers as they’re currently in a tight one-game race with the Magic and Bucks.
The Cavaliers were able to handle the Clippers in their only other meeting this season and with Kawhi Leonard out for the Clippers, they’ll need a different angle to attack this Cavaliers team from. Look for the battle in the paint to be crucial in deciding the outcome of this game.
Ultimately, I think the Cavaliers are playing at a more frantic pace and while the Clippers have been seeing more wins, Cleveland could try and make this a heated game by the fourth quarter. Still, they’ll be playing on back-to-back nights so we need to factor in the Clippers’ rest as an advantage.
For our prediction, let’s roll with the Cleveland Cavaliers to cover the spread. While the Clippers stand a better chance to win the game, I still like Cleveland to play this one hard and really try to overtake the Milwaukee Bucks in the standings.
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Final Cavaliers-Clippers Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers +4.5 (-110)
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