Okalhoma CIty Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview and Pick

Okalhoma CIty Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview and Pick

Ryan Knuppel
2 years ago
3 min read
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Darius Bazley (7) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, currently 14-31, are on a four-game losing streak. It’s hard to imagine that this is the same team that beat the Brooklyn Nets, 130-109.

They’ll now head out to Cleveland to face the Cavaliers, fresh off of a loss to the Bulls. Although the Thunder might be more desperate for a win, the Cavaliers have a better positioning. They also have a better team.

Cleveland’s loss to the Bulls was definitely a setback. Securing a win in that game would’ve got them closer to the number three and four spots.

However, the Cavaliers are still in the mix to lead the Eastern Conference. If the season stopped today, they’d have a guaranteed spot in the playoffs, so not all is lost. The key here is for the Cavaliers to get back on track with a win today.

Will we see any life from the Thunder?

Oklahoma City’s most notable problem is shooting. Out of 30 NBA teams, the Thunder rank last in points per game, field-goal percentage, and 3PT percentage.

It’s no surprise that shooting 41.65% from the field is a recipe for a loss. The lackluster play could be blamed on poor drafting, and bad offseason moves. Frankly, the Oklahoma City Thunder just aren’t a good team at all.

Even with their terrible shooting from the field, they secured a win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets are the No.1 team in the Eastern Conference, and the Thunder won 130-109. If they want to take down the Cavaliers, we’ll need to see another performance such as that.

The likelihood of that happening, though, are very slim. Especially during this four-game losing streak.

Back at home, the Cavs need a win

Playing on the road in Chicago can be a daunting task. The Cavaliers went in there looking to secure a win and came out with a 117-104 loss. The good news is all isn’t lost for the Cavaliers, and they’ll have a chance to bounce back.

The Thunder is a very favorable matchup for them, and they get the benefit of being at home. The Cavaliers have a 12-9 record at home this year.

Compared to the Thunder, the Cavaliers have stellar shooting. They rank seventh in the NBA in field-goal percentage (46.73%), but they aren’t great at putting up points.

On average, the Cavaliers score 107.52 points per game, ranking 20th in the NBA. There are two things they need to do to win this game. Put up points and slow down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Betting lines and trends for Thunder vs. Cavs

The Oklahoma City Thunder come in as 12-point underdogs, which should be no surprise. The Moneyline favors the Cavaliers at -850, and the total is set at 209.

Neither of these teams averages a lot of points per game, so keep that in mind. Over their last ten meetings, the Thunder have gone 7-3. Keep in mind that the most recent game was a Cavs win.

Surprisingly enough, both of these teams are fairly good against the spread. The Thunder are 28-16-1, while the Cavaliers are 30-14-2.

One last thing to note is that Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in their last five home games against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Still, Cleveland has a much better offense and the NBA’s No.3 defense.

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