Los Angeles Clippers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction, Preview, and Odds

Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas - Championship Sunday

This Sunday, the (27-24) Los Angeles Clippers will travel to Cleveland, OH to take on the (30-21) Cleveland Cavaliers. Tipoff will be at 7:00 PM EST inside the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. This will be the second meeting between these two teams this season, as the Clippers won the last meeting, 119-117.

The Clippers are coming into this one after taking down the San Antonio Spurs, 138-100. They looked spectacular on both ends of the court, as they will have to carry that momentum over into this game if they want to challenge the Cavaliers on the road.

Cleveland is entering this game after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 112-100. They struggled on the offensive end of the court, as they will have to be more efficient in this one if they want to take care of business at home.

I am looking to end the NFL season strong, as I have picked a side in the Bengals vs. Chiefs one. Everyone has been talking about this game all week, but I've got a great feeling about this one. Buy NFL Sunday Best Bet and I will see you back in the GREEN!

This game was written/published before last night's results.

Can the Clippers Stay Hot on the Road?

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, as they are eight games back from the Denver Nuggets. On offense, they are scoring 110.7 points per game and they have shot 47% from the field. This is the 29th most points scored per contest and the 19th-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Clippers have the 26th-highest adjusted offensive rating in the NBA. Paul George continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 23.5 points per game on 46.7% shooting from the field. Los Angeles has also shown that they have multiple players that can make it rain from behind the arc. They have shot 38% from deep, which is the fifth-highest three-point shooting percentage. Unfortunately, they have not taken care of business at the charity stripe. They have only made 76.6% of their shots at the line, which is the 23rd-highest free-throw shooting percentage in the league.

On the defensive end of the court, the Clippers have been great. They are surrendering 110.4 points per game and they have forced their opponents to shoot 46.5% from the field. This is the third least amount of points surrendered per game and the seventh-lowest shooting percentage allowed. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Clippers have the 10th-lowest adjusted defensive rating in the NBA. They have also shown that they will contest shots in the paint and on the outside. Los Angeles has forced their opponents to shoot 35.1% from deep, which is the ninth-lowest three-point shooting percentage allowed. The Los Angeles Clippers are also grabbing 43.8 rebounds per game, which is the 13th most.

Injury Report: Marcus Morris Sr. SF (Ribs) is questionable. Robert Covington SF (Personal) and John Wall PG (Abdominal) are out.

Will the Cavaliers Rebound at Home?

The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, as they are 5.5 games back from the Celtics. On offense, they are scoring 111.3 points per game and they have shot 48.2% from the floor. This is the 26th most points scored per contest, but the eighth-highest team shooting percentage. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Cavs have the 11th-highest adjusted offensive rating in the NBA. Donovan Mitchell continues to lead the way on the offensive end of the court, as he is scoring 28.3 points per game on 48.1% shooting from the field. Make sure to check the injury report, though. He is currently questionable with a groin injury. Cleveland has also shown that they can heat up from behind the arc. They have knocked down 36.2% of their shots from deep, which is the 13th-highest three-point shooting percentage in the league. The Cavaliers have struggled at the free-throw line, though. They have only cashed in on 77.8% of their shots at the line, which is the 17th-highest free-throw shooting percentage in the league.

On the defensive end of the court, the Cavaliers have been one of the best teams in the league. They are currently allowing 107.1 points per game and their opponents have only shit 46.8% from the field. This is the least amount of points surrendered per game and the 10th-lowest shooting percentage allowed. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Cavs have the second-lowest adjusted defensive rating in the NBA. But, Cleveland does have one weakness. They have struggled to defend on the perimeter, as their opponents have shot 37.3% from deep. This is the 27th-highest three-point shooting percentage allowed in the league, as they have to close out on open jump shooters and apply more pressure on the outside if they want to challenge the Clippers at home.

Injury Report: Donovan Mitchell SG (Groin), Kevin Love PF (Back), and Ricky Rubio PF (Knee) are questionable.

Best Bets for this Game

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I like the Los Angeles Clippers on the road and I am going to take the points. The Cavaliers could be without multiple key players, as Mitchell and Love are questionable for this game. Los Angeles has also looked great as of late, as they are (6-4) in their last 10 and they've won four games straight. They are feeling it right now and I can't say the same about the Cavaliers. The Clippers will make it very difficult for the Cavaliers to consistently score throughout this game, as they have the 10th lowest adjusted defensive rating and they are holding their opponents to the third least amount of points per game. Cleveland is only scoring the 26th most points per game and they are banged up right now. The Cavs have also shown that they struggle to contest shots from the outside, as I see the Clippers making it rain from deep in this game. Cleveland isn't in a great spot right now and Los Angeles is heating up.

Pick the Los Angeles Clippers and take the points.

Prediction: Los Angeles Clippers To Cover The Spread

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I will be hammering the under in this game, as I don't see either team being able to consistently score. According to dunksandthrees.com, the Clippers have the 25th lowest adjusted tempo rating and the Cavaliers have the lowest. Neither team will push the ball up the court with pace and they won't look to consistently score in transition. This will limit the number of shots taken from the field, as I don't see either team having enough opportunities to push this total over the number. I also love both of these defenses, as I see them both showing up in this game. The Clippers are holding their opponents to the third least amount of points per game and they have the 10th lowest adjusted defensive rating. Cleveland is only scoring the 26th most points per game, as they will struggle to beat this Clippers' defense. Now, the Clippers won't have success on the offensive end of the court either. The Cavs are holding their opponents to the least amount of points per game and they have the second-lowest adjusted defensive rating.

Take the under and expect a slow-paced, defensive battle in this one.

Prediction: Under

Mason graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder and he has been watching SportsCenter since before he could walk. He has been crunching numbers since he could learn to count and nothing makes Mason happier in this world than talking sports, unless he is on the golf course! We are very happy to have added Mason to our team at StatSalt and you will be glad as well. Let's win some money!