Bets and analysis for Tuesday’s Lakers-Cavaliers game in Cleveland. The Cavaliers are small home favorites.
A LeBron James return to Cleveland is always a big event, but the focus will be on Anthony Davis when the Lakers and Cavaliers tip off Tuesday evening.
The Los Angeles big man has been an unstoppable force across the team’s 8-2 stretch. His run of dominance hit a new peak last time out against the Wizards when he went for 55 points and 17 boards.
The Cavaliers, coming off a loss, will now attempt to slow him down, possibly without the help of center Jarrett Allen (back).
Cleveland beat the Lakers, 114-100, in California a few weeks ago. That loss dropped L.A. to 2-7 and it marked the Cavs’ eighth win in a row. Since then, Los Angeles is 8-5 and Cleveland is 7-8. Still, the home team, which is 10-1 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse this season, is favored against its former franchise player on national television.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Odds
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Spread: Lakers +4.5 (-110) | Cavaliers -4.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Lakers (+165) | Cavaliers (-200)
Total: 225.5 — Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Lakers Betting Profile
Straight-Up Record: 10–12
Against The Spread Record: 10-12
Over/Under Record: 12–10
Points Per Game (Rank): 114.8 (10)
Points Allowed Per Game (Rank): 115.1 (21)
Cavaliers Betting Profile
Straight-Up Record: 15–9
Against The Spread Record: 13–9–2
Over/Under Record: 10–14
Points Per Game (Rank): 111.3 (18)
Points Allowed Per Game (Rank): 105 (1)
Spread Bet: Lakers +4.5 (-110)
L.A. has had its struggles away from Crypto.com Arena, but the team has won the last four on the road and is 2-0 so far on this road trip. And after a dreadful start to the season, the Lakers have been just as good a bet to cover as they’ve been to win lately—they’re 8-2 against the spread over their last 10 games.
The Cavaliers’ offense has struggled lately, but their defense is still holding up. Only one team has scored 100 points over their last five games, though they failed to break triple digits twice during that stretch with their backcourt of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell fully healthy. Cleveland might get Allen, its defensive anchor back, which is its best hope of slowing down Davis.
The way both teams are trending, the Lakers are primed to pull off an upset - or at least keep this contest close. One of the biggest differences in the first meeting of the season was a plus-20 advantage in free throws made for a Cavs team that won by 14 points. If that discrepancy evens out and Davis turns in another All-NBA-level outing then there’s no way L.A. isn’t in this game come crunch time.
Over/Under Bet: Under 225.5 (-110)
The recent Cavaliers’ game totals have been shockingly low. They combined with the Knicks to score 173 points last time out. And even though the Lakers’ offense is rolling with 130 or more in three straight games, this still isn’t a unit you can pencil in for 120 every night regardless of the matchup.
Only 214 total points were scored in the last meeting and that was with Cleveland getting much more offensively out of its backcourt. L.A.’s defense has fallen by the wayside as the team has turned things around, but the bones of a good unit are still there. Plus, neither team is known to light it up from outside.
This ultimately comes down to which team dictates the pace. The Lakers run at the fastest pace in the league and the Cavaliers are the slowest team.
Prop Bet: Anthony Davis Over 39.5 Points Plus Rebounds (-120)
Davis’s season average for combined points and rebounds is 41.4. In each of his last two games, he’s had more than 50 combined points and boards. In fact, his scoring output alone has topped this total in both contests. Even if he cools down significantly, a 30 and 10 night still does the job.
If Allen is out, Davis will feast on the glass and he can still set up shop in the paint with him active. Keep riding the Davis wave until he shows a reason to get off.
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