The Cleveland Cavaliers are ailing. They have lost four of their last five games after a 120-112 loss at home against the Dallas Mavericks last night. In the bigger picture they are 6-13 since February 12th, a skid that saw them collapse from an Eastern Conference contender to a team barely clinging to seventh-place in the standings.
Back when the Cavs were still riding high, they were supposed to play the Atlanta Hawks in Georgia. That game was called off due to a COVID outbreak, and was rescheduled to tonight — the only realistic choice on the calendar. Thus the Cavs raced down to Atlanta after their loss last night to take on the Hawks in a back-to-back.
The Cavs visit the Atlanta Hawks Thursday night in a key game. What do you need to know about who is playing and how to bet?
As the Cavs flounder, the Hawks are starting to find their wings. They have won three-straight games and are 8-3 in their last 11 games, putting distance between them and teams like the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks below, effectively ending the conversation of which teams will make the play-in. Now the 10th-place Hawks are looking up, trying to catch the teams right above them: the Charlotte Hornets, the Brooklyn Nets (both within a game of Atlanta) and, possibly, sickeningly, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks: Odds, spread, over/under
The Cavaliers (42-34) will visit the Hawks (39-37) tonight. According to our partners over at WynnBet, the hometown Hawks are favored by 5.5 points over the ailing Cavs. The over/under is set to 227 points.
The Cavs, as previously mentioned, are flying down from Cleveland on the back-to-back. The Hawks are making an even longer flight, racing in from Oklahoma City after clobbering the tanking Thunder.
Cavs vs Hawks: Projected starting lineups, injury report
Hawks starters: Trae Young, Kevin Huerter, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, DeAndre Hunter, Clint Capela
Cavs starters: Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, Lauri Markkanen, Moses Brown
The Hawks’ key injuries: John Collins (doubtful, foot/finger); Danilo Gallinari (questionable, elbow)
The Cavaliers’ key injuries: Collin Sexton, Dean Wade (out for season, knee); Jarrett Allen (out, finger); Evan Mobley, Rajon Rondo (out, ankle)
Cavs vs Hawks: Prediction
Trae Young and Darius Garland could provide some of the biggest fireworks the Cavs have been witness to this season. Both are offensive wizards with the ball in their hands, both are healthy and playing well recently, and neither will be facing a fearsome defensive team Thursday night.
The question of which team wins, or at least covers, is likely who has a teammate step up in a big way. The Cavs had Caris LeVert ball out on Wednesday night for his best game in a Cleveland uniform, dropping 32 points on the Dallas Mavericks (albeit while compiling a game-worst -18 plus/minus). With Young dropping 41 points on the Thunder, he was supported by four other players all scoring 17-20 points (including Kevin Knox!).
Even with John Collins and potentially Danilo Gallinari out, the Hawks are healthier and have more scoring threats than the Cavs. Playing without Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley (and honestly Dean Wade too) thins the deck of players the Cavs can look to in slowing down the potent Atlanta attack. Perhaps LeVert goes off, Kevin Love drops in five triples, and Isaac Okoro makes life miserable for Trae Young. Perhaps. More likely Young and the Hawks keep rolling, the Cavs keep floundering, and Atlanta walks away with the win and the cover.
Prediction: Atlanta 128, Cleveland 119
The Bet: Atlanta (-5.5), OVER
Cavs vs Hawks: Where to Watch
The intrigue of the play-in tournament pales with the intrigue of the Eastern Conference’s best and brightest, and the national television slots played out the same way. Those wanting to tune in can do so from their local Bally Sports affiliate — Ohio for the Cavs, Southeast for the Hawks — or watch on NBA League Pass.
Cleveland Cavaliers Upcoming Schedule
The Cavs have an up-and-down schedule to close out the year. After playing the Hawks tonight, they have a weekend back-to-back against the New York Knicks (Saturday at MSG) and the Philadelphia 76ers (Sunday at home). If the Cavs want to climb out of the play-in, those amount to must-win games.
If they lose one or both of those games, then after a get-right game they shouldn’t overlook in Orlando, the Cavs take on the Brooklyn Nets in what could be both a play-in preview and a determining factor in who hosts that game, ultimately. The Cavs have to hope one or both of their big men are back to have a fighting shot then or in the play-in.