Cavs vs Nets: Starters, odds, prediction and TV channel
Cavs vs Nets: Preview
We just saw this matchup less than a week ago, but the available lineups are significantly changed even in such a short span of time. Ed Davis started in that game, and Denzel Valentine played 11 minutes; the Cavs are hopeful they won’t have to play either Monday with the returns of Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen. Kevin Love should have his minutes restriction lessened or lifted entirely.
Brooklyn won’t have Bruce Brown available, who played 28 minutes and had 10 rebounds and five assists against the Cavs last week. DeAndre Bembry should see an increased role; last week he played 18 minutes, going 0-for-2 with 0 rebounds and three fouls. It’s a downgrade, although perhaps not a significant one given that the focus will be on Kevin Durant and James Harden to carry this team.
The Nets are favored by eight points, which seems like a lot given how close Cleveland tends to play opponents. They lost by 10 points last week in Brooklyn; tonight they will be at home, against a Nets team even slightly more banged up than they were, while the Cavs will have significant reinforcements. It should be a tighter game, with the obvious caveat that anything can happen between any two teams.
Can the Cavs pull off the upset? Certainly, given many of the strong wins they have logged this season. To do so they will need to be careful not to foul James Harden, who seems to have lost some burst and needs the free-throw line to have a star-level impact. On the other end of the court, with Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman out, someone other than Darius Garland will need to step up from 3-point range. Could it be either Kevin Love or Lauri Markkanen, two bigs with range coming off of long absences?
The wild card here is Jarrett Allen. No one in the Brooklyn Nets’ rotation can match his size and strength. If he forces the Nets to play James Johnson more minutes that’s a win for the Cavs as he provides little on offense. If Allen comes back at full strength and is hammering lobs and putbacks, it will be a boon to the Cavs that they just didn’t have last week.
What about the point total? The Cavs play at a slow enough pace and have a defense that grinds its opponents, so they have tallied a number of low-scoring affairs. Even so, 207 is a very low number, and almost all of the range of outcomes for Brooklyn covering would mean hitting the over. A Cleveland cover could mean hitting the under, but overall this feels like a good line. The over seems just slightly more likely.
Prediction: Brooklyn 112, Cleveland 106
The Bet: Cavs (+8.0), OVER
Cavs vs Nets: Where to Watch
Tonight’s game will be televised nationally, although not on one of the big-time networks. You can catch this rematch on NBA TV at 7:00pm.
Cleveland Cavaliers Upcoming Schedule
The Cavs had a long layoff over the weekend, and they won’t rush things this week, either. After taking on the Nets they will spend the rest of the week completing their homestand. That means a Wednesday night game against the scorching-hot Phoenix Suns, winners of 12 straight games, and a Friday match vs the Orlando Magic.
Next. 3 players who must step up with Collin Sexton out for year. dark
The Orlando game will be their last respite for some time as they continue their brutal streak of top-tier opponents. The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls all await them over the next few weeks.