Cleveland at Oklahoma City
Time: 8 PM ET
TV: TNT
Spread: OKC -2.5
Betting odds c/o Bovada
Cleveland has been something of a disappointment this season in terms of expectations; or at least, they had been.
The Cavaliers have made vast improvements since taking the ball out of Kyrie Irving’s hands and allowing LeBron James to control the talent around him, and the team has been far more formidable since handing the keys to the three-time MVP.
LeBron and the Cavaliers will be 2.5 point underdogs on the road to the surging Oklahoma City Thunder according to NBA odds.
The Cavaliers are riding an eight-game win streak since beginning the season 5-7. The Cavs are just 2-4 against the Western Conference, though. LeBron dished out double-digit assist figures in three consecutive games, and only fell off to seven and four the last two games.
Last contest against the Toronto Raptors, James had four assists as a result of shooting the ball 21 times en route to 35 points. Both his scoring and his ball distributing are paths to success for the Cavs, and maximizing the time the ball stays in his hands is in the best interests of the entire team, Irving included.
The Thunder are benefitting from the injection of its stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, who both spent stints on the injured list this season. With the tandem, the Thunder are one of the best teams in the NBA, but showed beyond all doubt that without the two top scorers on the team, OKC is rendered woeful.
However, there will seldom be a time when both Russell and Durantula go down at the same time, so maybe this is a moot point. Even so, the Thunder are currently sit three games out of the No. 8 seed in the West and 11 games away from the best record (held by the 19-2 Golden State Warriors). It stands to reason that by season’s end, OKC will definitely be in the playoff picture. As to whether the Thunder can obtain a much needed home court advantage is far more in question. With two of the top 10 players in the league, there’s no reason to count the Thunder out from finishing with a top-4 mark.
In their stead, Serge Ibaka showed an increased ability to shoulder more of a load, while Reggie Jackson played absolutely out of his mind at times. Jackson is quick and explosive and one of the best reserves in the league. He’s on his way to a big pay day eventually in free agency since a small market team like the Thunder will be hard pressed to find a way to offer him a suitable contract. For the time being, Jackson will see plenty of time starting at shooting guard, with far less attractive options starting at the 2-spot (Andre Roberson and Jeremy Lamb).
These notes illustrate the depth of the Thunder, especially given the development of UConn product sharpshooter Jeremy Lamb and big man Steven Adams. The Thunder have been contenders for the last four or five seasons now, but the roster is continuing to improve incrementally and there is nothing more that Scott Brooks would love to do than to dispatch LBJ and the Cavs in this affair. Adams is following in much the same mode of teammate Nick Collison, but is gifted with more athleticism to match the high basketball IQ both exhibit. Having an able bodied and gifted center gives the Thunder some added flexibility if Kendrick Perkins gets into foul trouble against the dominant centers in the league.
The Cavaliers received a lot of pre-season hype with the additions of LeBron James and Kevin Love, and the Thunder can assert affirmatively that this new trio cannot contend with the superpowers of the Western Conference. The game will air on TNT at 8:30 in the first of a double header.
BETTING TRENDS
CLE: UNDER 6-0-1 in last 7 on 1 day rest; UNDER 6-0 in last 6 following ATS win; UNDER 3-0-1 in last 4 vs teams with winning pct. under .400
OKC: 4-0 ATS in last 4 home games vs teams with winning road records; 4-0 ATS in last 4 at home; 1-10 ATS in last 11 after scoring 100 or more in previous contest
Head-to-head: Cavs 4-1 ATS in last 5 meetings; UNDER 4-4-1 in last 6 meetings at Oklahoma City; UNDER 10-4-1 in last 15 meetings.
