Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets April 8th NBA Betting Odds & Pick

At this stage of the NBA season, there are very few games with significance on the standings remaining. But the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets have one such game in their penultimate outing of the regular season. The winner of this game has the inside track to the seventh seed in the East, and home-court advantage in the play-in tournament, while the loser could still fall all the way down to 10th place after this showdown in Brooklyn.

Cavaliers vs. Nets Odds

The Brooklyn Nets come into this game as heavy favorites against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brooklyn is a 7.5-point favorite and is at -320 on the moneyline, with a $320 bet on the Nets required to return a $100 profit on the moneyline. Cleveland is a +260 moneyline underdog, with a $100 bet on the Cavs returning a profit of $260.

As far as the total is concerned, that is set at 230 for this significant Eastern Conference matchup. The Nets have one of the most lethal offenses in the NBA, led by Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, while the Cavs have plenty of offensive firepower of their own. As a result, there is a high total to navigate here, and bettors will have to decide whether the defenses in this matchup can hold their own or if offenses will rule the day.

Keys to the Game

For the Cavaliers, the biggest key to this game is the potential return of Evan Mobley to the lineup. He has been missing games due to an ankle injury but is expected to play tonight against the Nets. His return will provide some much-needed rim protection and an enhanced ability to collect rebounds on both ends of the floor, which the Cavs will need in a big way against Brooklyn.

On the Nets side, the key to this game is their defense, as we all know that Kevin Durant and former Cavalier Kyrie Irving will lead their offense to a respectable evening. With Mobley set to return to the lineup, the Cavs could pull Andre Drummond away from the paint by playing Mobley at center and putting him on the perimeter. How the Nets deal with the versatility of the current crop of Cavs bigs will be an indicator of their success.

Cavaliers vs. Nets Pick

With both teams having something to play for here, this game will be a treat during a part of the season where most teams know where they stand at the end of the regular season. Because of the sense of urgency on both sides, the Cavaliers are worth playing as 7.5-point underdogs. They are more than capable of staying within striking distance with the Nets, as the Cavs have superior depth to make up for their lack of star power, relatively speaking.

The return of Evan Mobley will be key to the Cavaliers’ ability to cover the spread. As a result, bettors may want to wait to make sure that he is indeed confirmed to be playing before placing a bet on this game. While early indications are that he will play, things can change quickly in the NBA, and any changes to his status could be costly to Cavaliers bettors.

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