In one of the opening matchups of the six-game Friday night NBA slate, the Cleveland Cavaliers will face off with the Philadelphia 76ers.
This marks the second consecutive matchup between these two Eastern Conference opponents, following their meeting on Wednesday in Philadelphia. Cleveland produced a dominant 133-107 win, in which Philadelphia’s only lead came with 9:41 remaining in the first quarter. The Cavaliers also tallied a convincing win over the Sixers back on November 5th, cruising to a score of 132-121. Tonight marks the third of four matchups between these two teams this year.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s game, the 76ers are 2.5-point favorites and hold -142 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Cavaliers are +120 underdogs with the game total set at 232.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Friday night matchup.
Cavaliers at 76ers Preview
Wednesday’s victory was a clear bounce-back effort from this Cavaliers team after falling to the Utah Jazz in the previous game. It has been a rocky season for Cleveland, who hold a 23-19 record on the season and sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference. This already marks more losses than last season, as they finished with an Eastern Conference-best 64-18 record on the year. They are 14-28 against the spread, and the game total has gone under in 22 of their 41 games.
Injuries have been the story of Darius Garland’s season, and he picked up another notable knock in Wednesday’s matchup. He has been ruled out for tonight’s game due to a right toe/foot injury and has played just 26 games this season. Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, and Max Strus will also remain sidelined.
Donovan Mitchell headlines the production, averaging 29.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.7 rebounds, while shooting 38.7% on three-point attempts. He shredded the Sixers for 35 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds on Wednesday. Evan Mobley was also sharp, adding 17 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists, to push his season averages to 17.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists. Jaylon Tyson has shown some impressive growth this season, leading the team with a 45.8% three-point percentage and averaging 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds. De’Andre Hunter has had some efficiency issues this year, but he adds 14.0 points and 4.3 rebounds, while Jarrett Allen remains a key part of the team.
As a team, Cleveland scores at the fourth-best rate in the league, averaging 120.1 points per game. They rank eighth in offensive rating, sixth in pace, 12th in field goal percentage, 14th in three-point percentage, and attempt the third-most perimeter shots per game. Defensively, opponents are scoring 117.5 points per game against Cleveland this year. This ranks 21st in the NBA, and they also rank 14th in defensive rating, 12th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and dead last in opponents’ three-point percentage.
This year’s iteration of the 76ers has shown a refreshing resiliency, but Wednesday’s matchup marked one of the few times in which their effort level was not up to the standard. Cleveland leaped out to an early lead, dominating on the glass and with effort plays, and the lead extended to a level that they could not overcome. Even still, they have won six of their past nine game and hold a record of 22-17 on the season, which slots them at fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is 23-19 against the spread this season, and the game total has gone over in 21 of their 39 games.
Tyrese Maxey shot an uncharacteristic 5-for-16 from the field in the previous game, and his 14 points marked his third-worst scoring output of the season. The 25-year-old is leading the NBA in minutes played, averaging 30.5 points, 6.6 assists, and 4.4 rebounds, while shooting 40.5% on three-point attempts. Joel Embiid has been available at a more consistent rate this year and has begun to show shades of the MVP version of himself. The seven-time All-Star is averaging 23.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
Paul George adds 16.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, while third-overall pick V.J. Edgecombe has become the glue of the starting lineup by adding 15.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on average. Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr, and Trendon Watford play notable roles in the rotation. Embiid and George are listed as probable for tonight, while their primary starting power forward, Dominick Barlow, is questionable with a back injury.
The Sixers are generating 116.8 points per game, which ranks 13th in the NBA. They rank 16th in offensive rating, 26th in field goal percentage, 16th in three-point percentage, and 19th in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 115.6 points per game, which ranks 14th in the league. Philadelphia ranks 13th in defensive rating, 11th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and third in opponents’ three-point percentage allowed.
Cavaliers at 76ers Prediction, Best Bet
The Cavaliers have produced convincing victories over the 76ers in both matchups so far this year. I gave Philadelphia a pass for the first matchup with it being on the second half of a back-to-back. But Wednesday’s matchup was a bit more concerning, with them having no answer for Mitchell, and Mobley proved to be a matchup issue in the rebounding battle.
My lean is toward the Sixers finally playing up to their potential and getting the result tonight. These teams are too equal for Cleveland to take the 3-0 series advantage, and if anything, Philadelphia has been more convincing on the wider scale of the season. The Cavaliers have had more games where they have come out flat and more examples of disappointing losses, while the Sixers have largely exceeded expectations this year.
But I am backing the game total to go over 232.5 in this matchup. Cleveland loves to push the pace and get on in transition, while having some significant defensive concerns. Tyrese Maxey struggled last night, but he is plenty capable of leading the charge in this type of shootout. Look for him and Edgecombe to match Mitchell’s pace and do some damage in transition in their own right.
The game total finished at 240 last night despite the Sixers tallying just 107 points. During the first matchup between these two teams, the game total finished at 253. Cleveland has scored 230+ in both matchups against the Sixers and should have the same level of offensive production tonight. Look for the Sixers to have a better effort in matching this and for the game total to soar past this 232.5 line.
