The Cleveland Cavaliers (9-6) travel to Barclays Center Wednesday to take on the Brooklyn Nets (10-5). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Cavaliers at Nets odds and lines, and make our expert NBA picks, predictions and bets.
Surging coming into Tuesday’s matchup with the Golden State Warriors, the Nets were throttled, losing 117-99. They were down as much as 28 points as two-time MVP Stephen Curry erupted for 37 points.
Brooklyn looks to bounce back as it’s still among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Led by Kevin Durant, who is coming off his worst shooting performance of the season, Brooklyn will enter this as heavy favorites.
As for the Cavaliers, they’ll be expecting a ton from G Darius Garland since rookie Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Collin Sexton (3 of their top-5 scorers) will be out.
Cleveland will be near 10-point underdogs on the road despite having impressed to start the season.
Cavaliers at Nets odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:10 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Cavaliers +420 (bet $100 to win $420) | Nets -600 (bet $600 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Cavaliers +9.5 (-108) | Nets -9.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 206.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick’em contests. Play now!
Cavaliers at Nets key injuries
Cavaliers
- C Jarrett Allen (illness) out
- F Evan Mobley (elbow) out
- G Collin Sexton (knee) out
- F Lauri Markkanen (health and safety protocols) out
Nets
- PF Paul Millsap (personal) out
- SG Joe Harris (ankle) out
- C Nicolas Claxton (illness) questionable
- PG Kyrie Irving (personal) out
Cavaliers at Nets odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Nets 108, Cavaliers 96
Money line
PASS on the money line.
The Nets have two former MVPs. They are deserving of being -600 favorites, especially against an injured Cavaliers team. However, it’s still regular-season NBA basketball, and that’s too much risk for me to feel good about.
Against the spread
“LEAN” to the NETS -9.5 (-112) as Cleveland is just too injured. They’re down their best center, Allen, who is playing at an All-Star level.
Garland has been playing much-improved basketball in his second season, but he’ll draw G Bruce Brown. While Ricky Rubio has exploded a few times, he’s still shooting under 40% from deep.
The Cavaliers also have the third-worst turnover ratio. Especially down three of their top-five players, I expect them to struggle against the length of Brooklyn. Also, the Nets have the second-best true shooting percentage.
Brooklyn should be able to get back on track with the high-level talent it has. The Nets also have the sixth-best defensive field goal percentage, so their defense is a bit underrated as well.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the UNDER 206.5 (-110) as it’s the better side of the total.
The Cavaliers have scored under 100 points in three straight games, so even if the Nets do get to three digits, unlike their last outing, the Under still has a good chance of hitting.
With Rubio not shooting a good percentage and Garland being limited without big men to lean on, the Cavaliers are in a bad position offensively for this game.
The Nets defense ranks second in defensive three-point percentage. The Cavaliers don’t rely heavily on the three which may coincide with their 22nd-best offensive rating.
Also, neither team turns the ball over at a high rate, so the opportunities in transition may be limited, hurting the pace. Brooklyn and Cleveland are respectively 10th and 26th in pace.
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Additional NBA sports coverage:
HoopsHype | Celtics Wire | LeBron Wire | Lonzo Wire | Nets Wire | Rockets Wire | Sixers Wire | Thunder Wire | Warriors Wire | Rookie Wire | List Wire
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]