Cleveland Cavaliers-Portland Trail Blazers: Odds, lineups, injury report, TV info and prediction for Nov. 23

After a five-game slide, the Cleveland Cavaliers have cleaned up some things up, en route to them winning their past three contests.

Now, the first two opponents in the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat were without crucial players, such as LaMelo Ball, and Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro, so one had to take those wins with a grain of salt. The Cavaliers had to pull out that win over Charlotte in double overtime because of late-game miscues, too, which was particularly irking.

The win still counted, though, and Cleveland did take care of business versus Miami, and in the third game of their current four-game homestand, the Cavaliers rode a strong fourth quarter to a victory 114-102 over the Atlanta Hawks. The team’s defense of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray was a big reason for the W as well.

Next up on the schedule for the Cavs is a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers, as the Wine and Gold will be gunning for a sweep of their opponents on this homestand. So with that in mind, we’ll examine Cleveland’s chances on the floor, and touch on the betting, injuries and programming info for this one.

Cavaliers-Blazers: Odds, spread and over/under

Per FanDuel, the Cavaliers are favored by 8.5 over the Blazers here. The moneyline is -350 for Cleveland and +280 for Portland. The over/under is set for 215.5 for the contest.

Cavaliers-Blazers: Injury report

Cavs injuries: Ricky Rubio (out indefinitely, knee); Dylan Windler (out indefinitely, ankle); Caris LeVert (out, ankle); Mamadi Diakite and Isaiah Mobley (out, G-League – Two-Way); Kevin Love (questionable, thumb); Dean Wade (probable, knee).

 Blazers injuries: Damian Lillard (out, calf); Gary Payton II (out, Return To Competition Conditioning); Keon Johnson (out, hip); Josh Hart (probable, ankle); Greg Brown III (out, G-League – On Assignment).

Cavaliers-Blazers: Projected starting lineups

Cavs starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Lamar Stevens/Dean Wade, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Blazers starters: Anfernee Simons, Shaedon Sharpe, Josh Hart, Jerami Grant, Jusuf Nurkic

Cavaliers-Blazers: Prediction

The Cavaliers are favored by 8.5 points over the Trail Blazers in Wednesday’s matchup, largely because of the status of Damian Lillard. Lillard recently sustained a Grade 1 calf strain, and is expected to be sidelined for one-to-two weeks as a result.

Obviously, that is a blow to this Portland team, a squad that’s been decent in coming into the game at 10-7, but Simons is a guy that had a bunch of starts last season in Lillard’s absence, and I’d expect him to have his share of production here.

I would also imagine the talented rookie in Sharpe has his electrifying moments in the open floor, and he could be a potential star shot creator down the road. And Jerami Grant has been a quality trade acquisition that has is back in a winning situation now after his years with the Detroit Pistons, so I don’t think these Blazers will necessarily just roll over here sans Lillard.

However, with the way the Cavaliers have been shooting in this homestand thus far, and with the team coming in sixth in offensive rating, Cleveland being big favorites here was not surprising. Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley should all have plenty of good looks, and for what it’s worth, Portland has dropped its last three games and four of its last five.

Along with that, Dean Wade being probable is great to see for the Cavs, given his play this season. Plus, with more opportunities in the past two games as compared to a few others prior to them, I could see Cedi Osman have another big night in this one, just as he did versus the Hawks on Monday.

Prediction: Cavs 112, Blazers 98

The Bet: Cavs (-8.5, UNDER)

Cavaliers-Blazers: How to watch/stream

This Cavs-Blazers matchup will be available for those in-market and subscribed via Bally Sports Ohio. For fans not in-market and/or without that option, NBA League Pass will have the contest.

For a streaming option, check out FuboTV via free trial here!

Cavs upcoming schedule:

After this matchup versus Portland, the Cavaliers will face the Milwaukee Bucks again on Friday night on the road, where they played the Bucks a week ago.

Following that contest, Cleveland will play at the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, and then they’ll take on the Toronto Raptors on Monday to conclude a three-game road trip.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.