Cavs vs Jazz: Starters, odds, prediction and TV channel

The Cleveland Cavaliers are riding high, a win Friday in Washington meaning they swept their three-game road trip against winning opponents, with all three wins by double digits. Combined with their win against the Orlando Magic last weekend and that is four-straight wins by at least 13 points, the first such streak in 11 years.

Now they return home to face the Utah Jazz, the No. 1 seed in the West last season and another team in contention for a title this year. Will Rudy Gobert, the league’s preeminent rim protector, be the first player in quite some time to stymie Jarrett Allen inside? Can Donovan Mitchell go shot-for-shot with Darius Garland?

The Cavs host the Utah Jazz on Sunday afternoon looking to continue their win streak. What do you need to know about who is playing and how to bet?

The Jazz are rolling, winning three straight games of their own and seven-of-nine. At +9.6 their point differential is second-best in the entire league, behind only the Golden State Warriors. They fly into Cleveland after a four-game homstand where they went 3-1, their only loss by one point to the New Orleans Pelicans.

What is the betting line for this game? Who is injured, and who is expected to start? Finally, what is our prediction for the game and advice on how to bet? Here’s your quick preview of this afternoon’s showdown.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Utah Jazz: Odds, spread, over/under

The Cavaliers (13-10) will host the Utah Jazz (15-7) this afternoon. According to our partners over at WynnBet, the Jazz are favored by 5.0. For reference, all 15 of Utah’s wins this season have come by more than five points. The over/under total for the game is 211, which the Jazz have cleared in all but one game over their past ten contests.

The Cavs have been on an every-other-day schedule for the past couple of weeks, playing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of this past week. Similarly, the Jazz played every other day for eight-straight games before getting some extra rest in the middle of last week; they then hosted the Boston Celtics on Friday before similarly flying into Cleveland with the same amount of rest as the Cavs.

Cavs vs Jazz: Project starting lineups, injury report

Jazz starters: Mike Conley, Donovan Mitchell, Royce O’Neale, Bojan Bogdanovic, Rudy Gobert

Cavs: Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

The Jazz’ key injuries: Hassan Whiteside (questionable, glute)

The Cavaliers’ key injuries: Collin Sexton (out for season, knee); Dean Wade (out, calf); Cedi Osman (questionable, back); Dylan Windler (questionable, back)

Cavs vs Jazz: Prediction

The Cavs have proven themselves able to hang with anyone, but after a road trip and against the best opponent they have faced since the Brooklyn Nets two weeks ago, with another game on the back-to-back looming, this seems like a logical place for them to stumble. Even so, the Cavs stumbling means the offense fails, not the defense.

Prediction: Utah 104, Cleveland 96

The Bet: Utah (-5.0), UNDER

Cavs vs Jazz: Where to Watch

The NBA largely avoids Sunday afternoons during the NFL season for its national television slots, so it’s no surprise that a game involving two small-market teams in the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers is on the regional sports networks. Ohio fans can tune into Bally Sports Ohio, while those out west can turn on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain or Root Sports Northwest. For everyone else, it’s NBA League Pass once more. The game is at 3:30pm EST.

Cleveland Cavaliers Upcoming Schedule

The Jazz get no respite, turning right around for a game tomorrow against the Milwaukee Bucks. That game will be in Milwaukee, so the Cavs will likely leave straight from the arena today and fly the short distance to Wisconsin. The Bucks are on fire right now, winners of nine of their last ten games.

The rest of the week is only a tiny bit better, as the Cavs head back to Ohio to host the Chicago Bulls for the first time this regular season (Chicago swept Cleveland 2-0 in the preseason). Then Friday it’s back across the Great Lakes to Minnesota to play the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves.