The Los Angeles Lakers travel to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse to face a cross-conference foe in the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday. The Lakers are 30-41 overall and in the play-in mix in the Western Conference. The Cavaliers are 41-30 and jockeying for playoff positioning in the East. Anthony Davis (foot) and Kendrick Nunn (knee) are out for the Lakers, with LeBron James (knee) and Wayne Ellington (illness) listed as questionable. Jarrett Allen (finger), Rajon Rondo (ankle) and Dean Wade (knee) are out for the Cavaliers.
Tip-off is at 7 p.m. ET in Cleveland. The Cavaliers are listed as 5.5-point home favorites, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 227 in the latest Lakers vs. Cavaliers odds. Before you make any Cavaliers vs. Lakers, be sure to check out the NBA predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model entered Week 22 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 79-49 roll on all top-rated NBA picks, returning over $2,400. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Lakers vs. Cavaliers and just locked in its NBA picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are several NBA odds and betting lines for Cavaliers vs. Lakers:
- Lakers vs. Cavaliers spread: Cavaliers -5.5
- Lakers vs. Cavaliers over-under: 227 points
- Lakers vs. Cavaliers money line: Cavs -230, Lakers +190
- LAL: The Lakers are 15-13 against the spread in non-conference games
- CLE: The Cavs are 16-11-1 against the spread in non-conference games
Featured Game | Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Why the Lakers can cover
The Lakers have notable characteristics on both sides of the floor. Los Angeles is fantastic at generating havoc on defense, headlined by 14.9 turnovers created per game. The Lakers are in the top eight of the NBA in steals (7.8 per game) and in the top five in blocks (5.5 per game), putting pressure on the opposition. Cleveland is below-average on offense, scoring only 110.4 points per 100 possessions, and the Cavaliers are second-worst in the NBA in avoiding turnovers.
On offense, the Lakers put pressure on the rim with 48.4 points per game in the paint. That ranks in the top 10 of the NBA, and Los Angeles is also above-average in field goal accuracy (46.5 percent) and two-point accuracy (54.0 percent). Los Angeles is also in the top 10 of the NBA in free throw attempts, averaging 22.3 per game, and the Lakers are elite in scoring 14.8 fast break points per game.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Cleveland’s success is led by an elite defense. The Cavaliers are No. 4 in the NBA in defensive efficiency, yielding only 1.07 points per possession. Cleveland leads the league in free throw prevention, allowing only 18.8 attempts per game, and the Cavaliers are in the top 10 in field goal percentage allowed, two-point percentage allowed, assists allowed, and second-chance points allowed. Los Angeles is No. 24 in the league in offensive rating, with bottom-tier marks in offensive rebound rate, second-chance points and free throw accuracy.
On offense, the Cavaliers land solidly above the NBA average in field goal percentage, two-point percentage, assists, assist percentage and offensive rebound rate. Los Angeles is in the bottom five of the league in free throw prevention, assists allowed, points allowed in the paint, and fast break points allowed.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Lakers picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning under on the total, with the teams projected to combine for 223 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Lakers vs. Cavaliers? And which side of the spread hits over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its NBA picks, and find out.
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