We’re now nine games into the 2022-23 season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and things have gone about as well as anybody could’ve anticipated.
After stumbling at the Toronto Raptors in the opener on the road, Cleveland has racked up eight straight victories and is 8-1 on the year.
The group has done incredibly well even with Darius Garland not in action much because of an eye injury, and he did miss Cleveland’s blowout win at the Detroit Pistons on Friday (knee sprain). But he and Donovan Mitchell (ankle sprain) were back in the Cavs’ win thanks to a get-right second half at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, and now, they’ll look to keep it rolling.
Next up for the Cavaliers is the LA Clippers on Monday night, on the second leg of a back-to-back, and the third game of this current five-game road trip. This a back-to-back scenario for the Clippers too, though; they faced the surprisingly impressive Utah Jazz last night and lost because of a cold fourth quarter and rough deep shooting down the stretch. The Clippers are now 5-5 on the year.
This Clips matchup, either way, is definitely quite the compelling one for the Cavaliers, with that LA squad among the true contenders, one would think, down the road. And with that in mind, we’ll take a closer look at this one here, examining the odds, injury report, lineups and eventually give our prediction.
Cavaliers-Clippers: Odds, spread and over/under
According to FanDuel, the Cavaliers are currently favored by 2.5 points over the Clippers on Monday. The moneyline is -138 for the Cavs, and +118 for the Clippers. As for the over/under, that’s set to 217.
Cavaliers-Clippers: Injury report
Cavs injuries: Ricky Rubio (out, knee); Dylan Windler (out, ankle).
Clippers injuries: Kawhi Leonard (out, knee); Luke Kennard (out, chest); John Wall (out, rest); Reggie Jackson (questionable, knee).
Cavaliers-Clippers: Projected starting lineups
Cavs starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
Clippers starters: Reggie Jackson/Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Paul George, Marcus Morris Sr., Ivica Zubac
Cavaliers-Clippers: Prediction
Heading into Monday night’s game, I would expect that as the game progresses, that the Cavaliers should be able to pull away. The Clippers are dealing with their share of injuries already, which has been nothing too infrequent for them, unfortunately, in recent seasons.
Kawhi Leonard is still reportedly out without a definitive timetable (knee), and meanwhile, after bumping knees in LA’s loss to the Jazz on Sunday, it’s unclear if Reggie Jackson will be able to go. John Wall is not cleared for back-to-backs yet, regarding other playmaking options for the Clips.
With those things factored in here, and with Luke Kennard (chest) seemingly likely out here, I’d look for the Cavaliers to have another strong second half, and here, realistically, Paul George will just have to have such a heavy burden.
Cleveland’s bench should be able to provide a lift, from a depth element, and I’d think Mobley and Allen, along with Kevin Love to some degree, should have their way in this matchup. The bigs should have a decisive advantage here, to that point.
Furthermore, the Cavaliers defense and energy throughout should lead them to handling the Clippers, who are shorthanded right now, and this Cavs team has won eight straight games.
Granted, that doesn’t mean I don’t believe the Clippers can be among the league’s contenders as the season wears on, given their talent level and depth (when healthier). The Cavaliers just could be it appears, too.
Prediction: Cavs 112, Clippers 99
The Bet: Cavs (-2.5), UNDER
Cavaliers-Clippers: Where to watch/how to stream
This game between the Cavaliers and Clippers will be available for fans in-market and with the said options on Bally Sports Ohio, Bally Sports San Diego and Bally Sports SoCal. Additionally, this game will be broadcasted on NBA TV, adding to the intrigue here.
And NBA League Pass will have this one, for those out of market and/or without those other options.
For a streaming option, test out FuboTV here, with a free trial.
Cavaliers upcoming schedule:
Following this Clips contest, the Cavaliers will continue on in their California road trip, and take on the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night and then Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
After those outings, Cleveland returns back for a Sunday night tilt versus the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.