The Cleveland Cavaliers righted the ship this weekend, beating the Indiana Pacers without Darius Garland to keep the bottom from falling out during this stretch of the schedule wrecked by COVID. Garland is questionable tonight, and the Cavs hope he suits up and provides the juice this roster needs.
New trade acquisition Rajon Rondo is unlikely to make his season debut until the upcoming road trip, so the question of who will play in the backcourt is a significant one, especially considering their Tuesday opponent. Ja Morant and Desmond Bane are playing as well as any backcourt in the league this season, and they spearhead a Grizzlies team that is the mirror parallel of the Cavs in many ways.
The Cavs host the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night in a rematch from Opening Week. What do you need to know about who is playing and how to bet?
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Opponent: Odds, spread, over/under
The Cavaliers (21-16) will host the Grizzlies (24-14) tonight. According to our partners over at WynnBet, the Cavs are favored by three points. The over/under point total is 217.5.
The Cavaliers had the day off Monday as they prepare to end their three-game homestand, while the Grizzlies had to both play and travel last night. They played the Brooklyn Nets and walloped them, 118-104, as Ja Morant was dominant with 36 points. They then flew into Cleveland for the matchup tonight.
Cavs vs Opponent: Project starting lineups, injury report
Grizzlies starters: Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Killian Tillie, Jaren Jackson Jr., Steve Adams
Cavs: Darius Garland, Lamar Stevens, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
The Grizzlies’ key injuries: Dillon Brooks, De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Xavier Tillman, Shaq Buchanan, John Konchar (out, health and safety protocols); Ziaire Williams (doubtful, ankle)
The Cavaliers’ key injuries: Collin Sexton (out for season, knee); Ricky Rubio (out for season, knee); Isaac Okoro (out, elbow); Rajon Rondo (out, conditioning); Cedi Osman (out, health and safety protocols); Dylan Windler (probable, knee); Darius Garland (questionable, protocols)
Cavs vs Grizzlies: Prediction
As has been the case for nearly every NBA game over the past month, this matchup will be dictated in large part by which players are available. For Memphis, they are down three key rotation pieces in Dillon Brooks, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, although that didn’t slow them down against the Brooklyn Nets last night.
Whether the Cavs can keep up with the explosive Memphis offense likely comes down to whether or not Darius Garland is ready to play. He practiced on Monday and there is optimism he will be available; if not, with the newly-acquired Rajon Rondo still out as he works his way back from the protocols, Cleveland will once again be leaning on Kevin Pangos and Brandon Goodwin.
Cleveland’s entire backcourt is being stretched right now, with Rubio and Sexton out for the year and Isaac Okoro now missing multiple weeks with an elbow injury. Denzel Valentine was shipped out to the Knicks in the Rondo deal, and Cedi Osman is out in the protocols. Look for J.B. Bickerstaff to start Lamar Stevens as he did a few games ago at the 2, doubling down on their greatest strength: pure size.
Slowing down Morant will be key, and especially difficult without Okoro or Rubio. Bickerstaff may play more zone and try to keep Morant out of the paint; the downside is that Desmond Bane might rain down 3-pointers in that scenario.
Offensively the Cavs will work through their bigs, with Evan Mobley and Kevin Love facilitating. The matchup of Mobley with Jaren Jackson Jr. will be intriguing, with Mobley the athletic defender already as a rookie that Jackson has failed to become in his three-plus seasons in the league.
If Garland is out, the Cavs will likely lose this game. If he plays then he and Jarrett Allen will put Steven Adams through his paces on defense, and Morant’s weakness at that end could provide Cleveland a weak spot to exploit. On Garland’s availability likely swings the outcome of this game. We’ll lay out a prediction as if he plays; we’re a glass-half-full kind of website. This will be a close one.
Prediction: Cleveland 105, Memphis 103
The Bet: Memphis (+3.0), UNDER
Cavs vs Grizzlies: Where to Watch
The Cavaliers will host the Grizzlies at Rocket Mortgage Field House tonight at 7:00pm EST. The game will be on NBA League Pass for most markets, but hometown fans of the Cavs can tune into Bally Sports Ohio. Memphis fans will be able to tune in on their local Bally Sports affiliate as well.
Cleveland Cavaliers Upcoming Schedule
The Cavs end their three-game homestand tonight with Memphis and then will head out on a West Coast road trip. The starts Friday in Portland against the reeling Portland Trail Blazers, a team the Cavs narrowly defeated at home earlier in the season. Damian Lillard has been battling injury and has not been himself, and a healthy Garland could get the upper hand against a player he has been compared to frequently.
From there the Cavs will head to San Francisco to take on the Golden State Warriors; circle this date as it might just be the return of Klay Thompson after missing 2.5 years due to consecutive lower leg injuries. It will be an emotional night for fans of the Warriors, and the Cavs could be there to witness the return of one of their respected foes.