Cleveland Cavaliers at Utah Jazz
Time: 9:30 PM CT (ESPN)
Spread: CLE -4
Total: 195
Betting odds c/o 5dimes
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still fighting to secure the top spot in the Eastern Conference with the Toronto Raptors just 2.5 games on their heels. The Cavs have won seven of its past 10 games including the last three, and will find itself 4-point favorites on the road in Utah. The Jazz are fighting just to make the postseason, and trail No. 8 Dallas by two games.
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The Jazz had lost seven of eight games before winning its past two games, one the Washington Wizards the other the Sacramento Kings. Both teams are struggling in their own right, and the Jazz have some questions to answer. Utah added some backcourt help at the trade deadline when it acquired Shelvin Mack, who has been both successful and very popular in his time thus far with the Jazz. Mack is averaging 11.9 points and 4.5 assists per game in 28 minutes a night, while having started 11 of his 12 games with the Jazz.
Sure, the key player is still Gordon Hayward, and rightfully so since he is a true No. 1 option in most peoples’ views. He is averaging 20.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Hayward has had a successful career thus far, and his well-rounded game leaves little room for criticism. He is now battling plantar fasciitis though and that could put an end to Utah’s postseason aspirations.
The Jazz have also benefitted from the continued strides of forward Derrick Favors.
Favors is averaging 16.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while coming up with 2.69 blocks/steals per game. His PER of 22.4 is the highest on Utah, and his 51.5 percent field goal percentage the best mark of any Jazz player as well.
The Jazz have been pleased with the progression of Rodney Hood, who has stepped up in the wake of Alec Burks injury earlier this season. Hood is averaging 14.5 points per game while shooting 36.4 percent from threes (5.4 attempts per game).
The Jazz have liked what they have seen from rookie forward Trey Lyles, as well. Lyles is shooting 37.9 percent from three point range while averaging 16 minutes per game with 29 starts.
The Jazz are a team anchored by center Rudy Gobert on the defensive end. Gobert averages 2.28 blocks per game this season and teams definitely have second thoughts about pushing it into the paint against the Jazz. Gobert makes them a top defensive team, in the same way that all the great defensive bigs do.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have won its past three games, knocking off the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers. The most recent was the 114-90 trouncing of the Clippers, as the Cavs got hot from three point range in knocking down an astounding 18 of 37. J.R. Smith and Channing Frye each hit five triples, and LeBron James was 3 of 4 from behind the arc while scoring a team high 27 points. James also had five assists and six boards while posting a +16 plus/minus.
The Cavaliers addition of Channing Frye at the deadline was crucial.
Frye is a very useful court stretcher when properly used and his defense is nowhere near as bad as billed. He is shooting 41.4 percent on threes this season, but his three attempts per game are negatively impacted by his benching in Orlando. Magic head coach Scott Skiles just never seemed to take to Frye, and given the fact he was a $10 million deal it was an easy consideration to trade his contact for cap relief.
The Cavs consequently deepened its rotation, while also shedding Anderson Varejao whose career has been greatly impacted since suffering the blood clot in his lung two seasons ago.
The Cavs still, though, are a team about the Big Three. LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combine to average 60 points per game while the Cavs average 103.9 per game as a team. JR Smith is a great fourth option as a guy who can heat it up quickly too.
The Cavs are a team centered around the talents of LeBron James, but there are more than enough shooters and quality role players on the roster to give the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs (or Oklahoma City Thunder) considerable problems.
