The Cleveland Cavaliers are reeling right now from yet another injury to a significant player. They went into Monday night’s rematch against the Boston Celtics down three starters and two other rotation players, and during the second half lost star rookie Evan Mobley to an elbow injury. It was announced Tuesday that Mobley will miss 2-4 weeks recovering from the injury.
They are the walking wounded now, a team trying to hold to the optimism of a strong start as they lose players at every position but point guard. Can they survive this war of brutal attrition and hang with the preseason title contender when they take on the Brooklyn Nets?
The Cavs visit the Nets Wednesday night as the walking wounded. What do you need to know about who is playing and how to bet?
The Brooklyn Nets are not whole themselves, with Kyrie Irving still absent as he wages his mercurial war against The Man. Starting sharpshooter Joe Harris likewise is out for a few games with an ankle injury. The rest of the team, meanwhile, saw an injury to their pride when the Golden State Warriors destroyed them on national television last night, snapping a three-game win streak.
Whoever starts for the Cavs, they have shown grit this season to hang tough with any opponent. What should we expect from the Cavs’ quick trip to Brooklyn tonight, and what does Vegas expect? Let’s break down the matchup and then make a prediction.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Opponent: Odds, spread, over/under
The Cavaliers (9-6) will visit the Brooklyn Nets (10-5) tonight. According to our partners over at WynnBet, the Nets are favored by 11 points as of Wednesday morning. The over/under for the contest is 207, which is the highest pregame total for the Cavs in over a week.
The Cavs had a day off on Tuesday after losing to the Boston Celtics on Monday night, another game that was close late as Cleveland made a furious push. The Brooklyn Nets played a spotlight game on Tuesday night, hosting the Golden State Warriors. The Nets were drubbed in the third quarter, falling behind by enough that the team’s stars sat the entire fourth quarter.
Cavs vs Opponent: Project starting lineups, injury report
Other starters: Patty Mills, James Harden, Bruce Brown, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin.
Cavs: Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, Dean Wade, Kevin Love
The Nets” key injuries: Joe Harris (doubtful, ankle); Kyrie Irving (out, AWOL)
The Cavaliers’ key injuries: Collin Sexton (out, knee); Kevin Love (probable, health and safety protocols); Lauri Markkanen (out, protocols); Evan Mobley (out, elbow); Lamar Stevens (doubtful, ankle); Jarrett Allen (out, illness)
Cavs vs Nets: Preview and Prediction
The Brooklyn Nets were a preseason title contender, and Kevin Durant is playing at an MVP level. He leads the league in scoring and his efficiency is off the charts. The Warriors forced him into his worst shooting night of the season on Tuesday, by throwing a combination of Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II at him, a trio of elite defenders.
The Cavs don’t have anyone like that. Last season it would have been Larry Nance Jr., but he is in Portland now. Lamar Stevens could have been the guy, but he is doubtful with an ankle injury. Most likely Dean Wade will be asked to take him on, which is simply unfair to the undrafted forward.
At 10-5, the Nets are just one game up on Cleveland, and while Brooklyn has a superior net rating the disparity is not a gulf. If the Cavs were healthy, or at least healthier, this line would be a lot smaller than it is and the Cavs would have a decent shot at pulling an upset, as they did against the LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks.
The Cavs are not healthy, though. Jarrett Allen is out with a non-COVID illness and did not make the trip to Brooklyn. Evan Mobley and Collin Sexton will be out for an extended period. Lauri Markkanen is still out in health and safety protocols. That’s four starters the Cavs would be expected to play without, including their standout rookie. This team’s defensive identity has carried them this year; they can’t possibly maintain it with a frontcourt of Cedi Osman, Dean Wade and Kevin Love, no matter how hard they fight.
What about the point total? The Cavs have been hammering the under in these defensive slogs, but this looks like a game where the injuries become too much and they suffer a more substantial loss. Between Kevin Durant, James Harden and their veteran collection of Patty Mills, LaMarcus Aldridge and Blake Griffin, this team has a number of players who can heat up when they find a soft spot. This game might be a blowout, and it might therefore clear the point total easily.
Prediction: Brooklyn 118, Cleveland 102
The Bet: Brooklyn -11, OVER
Cavs vs Nets: Where to Watch
The Cavs and Nets will meet again next week on national television, but Wednesday night’s game will be on local television. That means Bally Sports Ohio for the Cavs and the YES Network for the Nets, or NBA League Pass for both. The game is at 7:30pm ET.
Cleveland Cavaliers Upcoming Schedule
The Cavs will get no respite from taking on an Eastern Conference contender, as they race home to host the same Golden State Warriors team that just smashed the Nets. They will face them Thursday night at 7:30pm, hopefully with Jarrett Allen, Lauri Markkanen or both back.
Things don’t ease up from there for the battered Cavs. They face the Nets again in Cleveland on Monday night, which will at least provide them a few days to lick their wounds and get a player or two back. Then a week from tonight the Phoenix Suns come to town.