For the Cleveland Cavaliers, they are currently amid a gauntlet portion of their post-All-Star break schedule, as the Eastern Conference postseason race is in full-swing. The Cavaliers are currently in the sixth seed in the East, but without Jarrett Allen for potentially the rest of the regular season, it’s not going to be simple to secure a postseason berth.
Even before Allen’s injuries, Cleveland was hardly the defensive unit that we’ve seen much of the season in recent weeks, and without him, it’s not going to get easier. The Cavaliers have won two of their last three games, but there were far too many miscommunications defensively, and offensively, their lulls in the second half did them in in an uninspiring loss at the Miami Heat on Friday.
Next up, the Cavs have the second leg of their latest back-to-back at the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, in what will be another difficult contest. This is before Cleveland has a five-game home stand beginning on Monday against four postseason hopefuls, and two title contenders.
With that in mind, it would be a boost for the Wine and Gold to snag a W at Chicago on Saturday night; that might be wishful thinking, unfortunately.
So what do you need to know about this third matchup between the Cavs and Bulls, and how to bet?
Heading into this contest, the Bulls did snap their five-game skid with a win over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, largely due to a big fourth quarter effort from DeMar DeRozan. Chicago did face some tough opponents in that losing streak though, and in fairness, prior to that, they had won six straight games.
Even without Lonzo Ball for a good bit and Alex Caruso having missed significant time, this is still a very dangerous Chicago team that got the better of the Cavs the last time these teams faced in mid-to-late January. And while Caruso was involved then, Zach LaVine was not, and the Cavaliers defense still was out of sorts.
In this matchup, the Cavs will try to have a better plan for DeRozan, and I’d expect to see some zone stretches, but with the way Ayo Dosunmu has been playing for Chicago, LaVine back and in the swing of things, and with Vucevic, this is another difficult matchup. LaVine is questionable with knee soreness, and Dosunmu is probable with a left adductor strain, and I’d expect Vucevic to play (right hamstring strain); still, it’s a daunting matchup. On the second leg of a back-to-back, that’s not going to make it easier, either.
These are the kinds of contests the young Cavaliers need to perform in, though, and they are capable. This Wine and Gold squad has surprised us throughout this season, so I’m not going to say this is just a schedule loss yet, and Darius Garland has been playing incredibly well, more often than not.
Cavaliers-Bulls: Betting info for Saturday
According to our partners at WynnBet, the Bulls are favored by 5.0 points over the Cavaliers here. The over/under total for both squads is set for 222.5.
That total for Chicago individually is currently set for 114.0 and that mark for Cleveland is set for 109.0.
Cavaliers-Bulls: Projected starters and injury report
Bulls starters: Ayo Dosunmu, Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, Javonte Green, Nikola Vucevic
Cavs starters: Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley
Bulls injuries: Lonzo Ball (out, knee); Patrick Williams (out, wrist); Tyler Cook (out, G League two-way); Marko Simonovic (G League-on assignment); Zach LaVine (questionable, knee); Alex Caruso (questionable, wrist); Nikola Vucevic (probable, hamstring); Ayo Dosunmu (probable, adductor).
Cavs injuries: Jarrett Allen (out, finger); Caris LeVert (out, foot); Dylan Windler (out, G League-on assignment); Collin Sexton (likely out for season, knee).
Cavs-Bulls: Prediction
As we noted, LaVine is questionable here, so it’s not certain that he’ll end up playing. He has been active lately, however, and I’d probably expect him to be in action here, and the same goes for Dosunmu and Vucevic. I can’t say the same for Caruso, coming off his wrist fracture, as he’s been out for an extended period, and is listed as questionable still.
Regardless, with the Cavs’ defensive issues in recent weeks, this is seemingly another rough contest heading in. Garland had 24 points and 10 assists on Friday, and did register a career-best 16 free throws, but he did only shoot 4-of-17 from the field and had seven turnovers. And quite frankly, I wouldn’t be completely shocked if they try to find him some more rest here, considering the workload he’s had; he needed to move it more in that last game, too.
I would expect a much better game from Garland here, but either way, for the Cavaliers to respond in this one among the other guys. Other bigs aside from Evan Mobley need to step up, and Cedi Osman and Kevin Love have to provide meaningful deep shooting; Love did do a decent job in Miami; he has been off in other games of late, is the only thing, and more minutes for him here are likely sensible.
At any rate, while the offensive lulls can’t be there as they were at Miami, and I do believe some meaningful Moses Brown minutes could help Cleveland’s rebounding and interior defense to give Mobley a rest in that way, I could foresee a similar outing as Friday’s.
It pains to me suggest that; I just have a hunch that it’s not going to be a four-quarter game, and not in favor of Cleveland. The Cavs really need LeVert back in the fold, and while I do believe they can beat the LA Clippers on Monday, this Bulls game, again on the second leg of a back-to-back, doesn’t bode well.
DeRozan is playing like a quasi-MVP candidate, and whether or not LaVine plays (I’d think he does), Chicago is just a tough matchup for the Cavs, with their current injuries, even more so. Collin Sexton would’ve been nice here, too, but that’s been the case in other contests, too. We won’t go there otherwise.
Anyhow, the Bulls win and cover, and I’m taking the under. The Cavs offense is not the most reliable at the moment.
Prediction: Bulls 115, Cavs 104
The Bet: Bulls (-5.0), UNDER
Cavaliers-Bulls: Where to watch
This third matchup between the Cavaliers and Bulls this season can be watched on Bally Sports Ohio and NBC Sports Chicago, for fans in-market and subscribed to those.
For fans out of market or without those options in those respective markets, if subscribed, NBA League Pass should suffice.
Cavs upcoming schedule:
After this Chicago game, the Cavs will take on the Clippers at home on Monday in the first game of a crucial five-game homestand. The Clippers have been playing very well recently behind quality defense and hot three-point shooting, and they could seemingly have Paul George back in the fold relatively soon and possibly Kawhi Leonard later on, but obviously it’ll take time for both to potentially get back.
Following that Clippers game, the Cavaliers will take on the Philadelphia 76ers for the third time this year, and will have been the second time in less than two weeks. Philly has a bonafide MVP candidate in Joel Embiid, now James Harden, seemingly a budding star in Tyrese Maxey, who was huge in their last win over the Cavaliers last Friday, and the Sixers have other shooters as well. Maybe then at home the Cavs can get the job done over Philly though, with a balanced scoring effort, and if their help defense is more consistent than the first two meetings.
And from there, Cleveland will have another matchup against one of the MVP contenders in Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets on Friday at home. The Cavaliers did get the job done in Denver early in the season, but sans Jarrett Allen once again, it’s difficult to say how Cleveland does that next go-round. Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley and Kevin Love will need to have it going.