Cavaliers vs. Thunder: NBA odds, Picks and Predictions

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Cavaliers vs. Thunder Odds

Cavaliers Odds +1
Thunder Odds -1
Over/Under 222
Date Fri, Jan 27
Time 8:00 p.m.
TV BSOH

Tonight, the Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Paycom Center. Entering play, Cleveland (30-20) is tied for the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Oklahoma City owns the fifth-worst record in the Western Conference. Still, oddsmakers are anticipating a competitive game between these two organizations on Friday, pricing the Thunder as 1-point home favorites on the spread.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Road warriors

The Cavaliers left Houston with a 113-95 victory last night, but the win should not lead bettors to think that Cleveland has remedied their road woes. After beating the worst team in the NBA on Thursday, this group is still only 10-15 away from The Land this season, and has lost each of their last three road contests against competitive teams – the New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Minnesota Timberwolves.

One major area of concern for Cleveland on the road is their inability to defend the perimeter, ranking 27th in opponent three-point percentage this season. This will be an area of the game to watch this evening against an Oklahoma City offense that shoots more shots from beyond-the-arc than league average.

Mitchell likely OUT again

As of this writing, Cleveland has not released an official injury report for this evening’s action. However, it is more probable than not that their leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell will be out of commission once again.

Per Cleaning the Glass, the Cavaliers rank in the 61st percentile in offensive efficiency and the 82nd percentile in defensive efficiency with Mitchell on the floor this year, compared to the 61st percentile in offensive efficiency and the 79th percentile in defensive efficiency in his absence. This is a group that is built to withstand him not being in uniform.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Making a play-in push

Since December 17, Oklahoma City is 12-7 overall, ranking second in the NBA in Net Rating. In that span, they have outscored their opponents by 5.2 points per 100 possessions overall and by 7.3 points per 100 possessions in their home building, where they are 8-3 in their last 11 contests.

During their recent hot streak, the Thunder have notable wins against the Memphis Grizzlies, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Denver Nuggets – proving that they are doing more than simply taking advantage of a soft stretch in their schedule.

Key to beating Cleveland

If there is one major area of concern for Oklahoma City ahead of tip-off on Friday, it is on the glass. On the season, Cleveland ranks eighth in rebound percentage, compared to Oklahoma City, which ranks 27th. The Thunder do not match-up particularly well with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the paint, meaning that Oklahoma City will likely need to outperform the Cavaliers in other areas tonight to come away with a win.

Cavaliers vs. Thunder – Picks & Predictions

The Oklahoma City Thunder have not earned the respect of sportsbooks or the public yet, but this is unquestionably a team that is clearly trending upward as the league nears the All-Star break. The Cleveland Cavaliers are likely to have a major advantage in the rebounding department in this contest, but there are other areas of the game in which Oklahoma City is capable of doing enough to earn a win. Expect Cleveland’s road struggles to continue tonight, and for Oklahoma City to emerge victorious.

PICK: Thunder ML (-112, FanDuel)

Image Credit: Imagn

About the Author

nickgalaida
Nick Galaida (nickgalaida)

A failed high school pitcher, Nick Galaida discovered that he has a higher aptitude for analyzing and writing about sports than he does playing them. To his friends, he is better known as “The Commish.” When he’s not organizing a fantasy league, placing a bet, or writing an article, he’s probably nose-deep in a book—further illustrating the point that his niche in this world is as a nerd rather than an athlete. Follow Nick on Twitter – @CommishFilmRoom