Nets vs. Cavaliers prediction: NBA odds, picks for Thursday

Brooklyn torched a Joel Embiid-less 76ers team in Philadelphia on Saturday, but then dropped a pair of home games to the Warriors and Mavericks.

The Nets have lost three straight games at Barclays Center, all by double digits, capped off by a 12-point defeat to Dallas on Tuesday night.

On Thursday, they welcome in the red-hot Cavaliers, who are playing with no rest after beating the hapless Wizards in D.C. on Wednesday night.

(7:30 p.m. ET, YES)

Cleveland closed out January with an 11-1 mark, before winning its first four games in February. Their 15-1 record in the new year is the NBA’s best.

The Nets look to break through against the Cavaliers after losing the first two meetings this season.

Cleveland edged Brooklyn at Barclays in the season opener, 114-113, followed by a 111-102 triumph in France last month.

Donovan Mitchell has had his way with the Nets in the two wins, scoring 27 and 45 points. Nets guard Mikal Bridges averaged 23 points per game in the two matchups, while scoring 28 points in the loss to Dallas on Tuesday.

The Nets own a 4-9-1 record against the spread in their last 14 home games. They seek their first outright win as a home underdog since Jan. 5 when they beat Oklahoma City.

They’ll be slightly shorthanded after the trade on Thursday that sent Spencer Dinwiddie to the Raptors for two players who should help the Nets – Dennis Schroeder and Thaddeus Young – but won’t be with them when they take the court against the Cavs.

Cleveland, coming off its win at Washington, has failed to cover in their two opportunities this season as a favorite with no rest.

Look for Brooklyn to finally break through against this hot Cleveland squad and cover at home in a game with a three-possession spread.