Tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET across a nine-game NBA slate, the Los Angeles Lakers will face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
LeBron James’ future still remains uncertain, but this will be the final matchup in Cleveland for the Lakers this season. He will return to where it all started, and there are sure to be some added emotions in the air. This is the first of two matchups this season, as they will also face off in Los Angeles on March 31st.
Looking at the odds for tonight, the Cavaliers are 2.5-point favorites and hold -148 odds on the Moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Lakers hold +124 odds of winning in their own right, with the game total set at 235.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Wednesday night matchup.
Lakers at Cavaliers Preview
The Los Angeles Lakers are off to a 28-17 start to the season and sit in fifth place in the Western Conference. They burst out of the gates this season, getting off to a 15-4 start through November, but have slipped of late. The Lakers are 5-6 over their past 11 games, but do enter tonight coming off back-to-back wins. On the season, Los Angeles has gone 25-20 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 26 of their 45 games played.
Austin Reaves and Adou Thiero remain sidelined for the Lakers, but they enter with an otherwise clean bill of health. Luka Doncic continues to lead the NBA in scoring at 33.8 points per game, along with 8.8 assists and 7.8 rebounds. LeBron James remains productive in the later stages of his career, posting averages of 22.4 points, 6.7 assists, and 6.0 rebounds. Rui Hachimura has played an important rotational role, adding 12.5 points and 3.6 rebounds, while Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart each are steady cogs in the rotation.
As a team, the Lakers are scoring 116.3 points per game, which ranks 16th, and allowing 116.3 points per game, which ranks 18th. Los Angeles ranks sixth in offensive rating, first in team field goal percentage, 18th in three-point percentage, and 20th in pace. They rank 25th in defensive rating, 27th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 27th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Coming off a season in which the Cavaliers led the Eastern Conference with a 64-18 record last year, they have surpassed their loss total from last year already. Cleveland currently sits in fifth place in the conference, with a 28-20 record thus far. Injuries have been a part of the issue, but not the sole reason for the struggles. The Cavaliers enter this matchup on a four-game winning streak and have won six of their last seven. On the season, Cleveland has gone 18-30 against the spread, and the game total has gone under in 26 of their 48 games played.
The Cavaliers received some unfortunate injury news with Evan Mobley suffering a calf strain in Monday Night’s game, which will keep him sidelined for 1-3 weeks. Darius Garland and Max Strus also remain sidelined, while Sam Merrill and De’Andre Hunter are considered probable. Amid the injuries, it has been Donovan Mitchell has headlined the production for the team. The six-time All-Star is averaging 29.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.8 rebounds, while shooting 38.5% from beyond the three-point arc. Jaylon Tyson has burst onto the scene this season, posting averages of 13.7 points and 5.6 rebounds, while proving to be a legitimate impact player in this Cavaliers rotation. Jarrett Allen adds 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds, while Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Tyrese Proctor, and Nae’Qwan Tomlin have had some nice recent flashes.
Cleveland is scoring at the fourth-best rate in the league at 119.0 points per game. They rank ninth in offensive rating, 14th in field goal percentage, 16th in three-point percentage, and seventh in pace. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.5 points per game against the Cavaliers, which ranks 20th in the league. Cleveland ranks 13th in defensive rating, 11th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 28th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Lakers at Cavaliers Prediction, Best Bet
Neither of these teams holds their exact desired outlook on the season, with both sides revealing some flaws in the early part of the year. Cleveland has been trending in a more positive direction and my lean would be them producing a win with the home crowd behind them. But I am avoiding a side on this one and backing the game total to soar over the 235.5 line.
Both these teams can score at an incredible pace and have defensive concerns. The Cavaliers are scoring at the fourth-highest rate in the league at 119.0 points per game, and are 20th in points allowed at 116.5 points per contest. Their defensive outlook will further worsen with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley set to miss. Cleveland also likes to get out in transition for easy points, and ranks seventh in the league in pace.
While the Lakers’ numbers are not quite as steep in either direction, this is driven by their 20th-ranked pace. Los Angeles ranks sixth in the league in offensive rating and has the best field goal percentage in the league. Expect the Lakers to also attack the Cavaliers’ 28th-ranked three-point percentage allowed this year, with Luka Doncic’s drive and kicks a clear source of this.
Doncic is arguably the most prolific scorer in basketball, and there is no clear path to slowing him down on this Cavaliers’ roster. Donovan Mitchell is closer to Doncic in this conversation than is sometimes acknowledged, and has scored 114 points over the past three games alone. Expect both these teams to have success offensively, and for this matchup to be played with both teams having a chance at cracking 120. Count on the Cavaliers making a clear effort to push the pace and for the points to be relatively easy to come by for both sides of this matchup. Buckle up the track shoes for some up-tempo basketball, and don’t be shocked if there is a good cushion between the 235.5 game total line and where the final score lands.
