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The Cleveland Cavaliers will begin a mini California trip in the Bay Area as they face the Golden State Warriors. It's a historic rivalry at Oracle Arena as we continue our NBA odds series and make a Cavaliers-Warriors prediction and pick.
The Warriors lead the head-to-head series 68-55. Yet, the Cavaliers destroyed the Warriors 136-117 on November 8, 2024. The Cavs have now won three games in a row against the Warriors. Yet, the Warriors are 7-3 in the past 10 games against the Cavaliers, including 4-1 over five games at Oracle.
Here are the Cavaliers-Warriors NBA odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NBA Odds: Cavaliers-Warriors Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers: -4 (-114)
Moneyline: -184
Golden State Warriors: +4 (-106)
Moneyline: +154
Over: 229 (-110)
Under: 229 (-110)
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Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area, FanDuel Sports Ohio
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Why the Cavaliers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Cavaliers continue to dominate the NBA despite injury issues starting to poke through. Amazingly, the depth is holding up, and the Cavs are not letting up anytime soon. It helps that they are well-coached, and the system simply works in Cleveland. Moreover, it worked immensely in their first showdown with the Warriors.
When the Cavaliers hosted the Warriors in November, they jumped all over them in the first quarter. Somehow, they led 83-42 at halftime. It was a game where everything went right, and the Cavs dominated it from the start to the finish. The Cavs shot 54.1 percent in that game while also holding the Warriors to 48 percent. Likewise, they shot 47.6 percent from the triples and held the Warriors to 31 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavs also won the board battle 43-40 in that game and blocked seven shots.
What was most impressive about the blowout victory was the fact that they did it despite Donovan Mitchell struggling, as the star player had just 12 points while shooting 4 for 13. Instead, Darius Garland had 27 points while shooting 9 for 17, including 6 for 11 from the three-point line. Evan Mobley added 23 points while shooting 7 for 13. Likewise, Ty Jerome came off the bench for 20 points while shooting 7 for 8.
The only thing they should improve upon is the turnovers. Yet, most of them came when they were already winning by 40. It's still a bad habit that they are more than capable of cleaning up.
The Cavaliers will cover the spread if they can continue to shoot the ball well and win the board battle. Then, their defense must prevent Stephen Curry from burning them from the triples.
Why the Warriors Could Cover the Spread/Win
Jonathan Kumiga is turning the corner and becoming a more integral piece of the puzzle for the Warriors as the NBA season chugs along. But he must do more because it appears the Warriors are in a massive decline after an explosive start to their season. This loss was part of a major tumbling down the mountain, as the Warriors have gone just 4-12 after a 12-3 start.
It all starts with Curry. Yes, he is one of the best players of all time and can turn it on anytime. But Curry only had 12 points while shooting 5 for 10 from the floor. Additionally, he also turned it over six times in that game. Andrew Wiggins is one of the best players in the game. However, he scored just 11 points while shooting 4 for 9. As previously mentioned, Kuminga is one of the bright spots on the team. Kuminga scored 21 points while shooting 7 for 14 from the floor in that game.
The Warriors still shot the ball well in that game. Also, they had 14 steals. However, the most important thing they must focus on is defense. It cost them the Christmas Day game against the Los Angeles Lakers, as they allowed Austin Reaves to drive to the basket for a game-winning layup. Regardless, they have shown they can stop opponents, as they did in a 109-105 win over the Phoenix Suns and earlier this month in a 113-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center.
The Warriors will covert the spread if they can shoot the ball better and avoid turning it over. Likewise, their defense must come to play and make the Cavs work for every bucket.
Final Cavaliers-Warriors Prediction & Pick
The Cavaliers are 22-9 against the spread, while the Warriors are 16-15 against the odds. Moreover, the Cavs are 9-4 against the spread on the road, while the Warriors are 7-8 against the odds at home. The Cavaliers are 6-1 against the spread when facing the Western Conference, while the Warriors are 3-3 against the spread when facing the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs have played better lately and over the season, while the Warriors have struggled. I like the trend to continue as the Cavs cover the spread on the road.
Final Cavaliers-Warriors Prediction & Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers: -4 (-114)
