The Cleveland Cavaliers (52-29) will the regular season comes to a close when they meet the Washington Wizards (46-34) at Quicken Loans Arena. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Apr. 15 and can be seen on CSN-DC and FSN-OH.
The Cavaliers played well in their last game, topping the Pistons 109-97 on Monday. Cleveland received a boost from LeBron James, who finished with 21 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds. This gave him his second triple-double of the year. The Wizards, meanwhile, are coming off a 108-99 win against the Hawks on Sunday. Paul Pierce had a good game for Washington, registering 14 points, seven rebounds, and two steals.
Marcin Gortat has been hot over the last five games for the Wizards, averaging 15.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.0 blocks.
This showdown pits one of the league’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses, as Cleveland currently ranks third in the NBA in offensive efficiency and Washington is fifth in defensive efficiency.
The Cavaliers lead the season series against the Wizards two games to one, including a decisive 127-89 victory in their last matchup. James was the game’s top overall scorer with 28 points.
The odds for Cleveland and Washington are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable as of now. The Cavaliers come into this game 52-29 Straight Up (SU) and 40-41 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 34-17 SU and 23-28 ATS against the Eastern Conference. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Cleveland’s stingy defense. The Cavaliers are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 95.7 points per home game.
In the other locker room, the Wizards have a record of 31-47-2 ATS and 46-34 SU. Despite having a winning record against the Eastern Conference, Washington is unsuccessful ATS in those games with a record of 19-30-1. The Wizards convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking fifth in the league at .464.
The Cavaliers’ win over Washington in their last game bumped their SU record to 7-3 over the Wizards in the last 10 meetings. The Cavaliers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. Cleveland held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers two times in the last 10 matchups. On the other side of the court, Washington never accomplished this feat in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – CLE, ATS Winner – CLE
Notes
Washington ranks 17th in points per game with 98.5, while Cleveland ranks 13th in points allowed with an average of 98.5 given up.
Washington ranks 25th in points per away game with 94.4 points, while Cleveland ranks fourth in points allowed at home with 95.7.
When allowing fewer than 100 points, the Wizards are 39-9 on the season. When the Cavaliers score fewer than 100, they are a poor 11-24.
When allowing 100 or more points in a game, the Wizards are just 7-25 this season. Cleveland is a fantastic 41-5 when registering triple digits.
The Wizards have an offensive rating of 101.3 (ranked 20th), while the Cavaliers rank 18th for their defensive rating of 103.4.
Cleveland has an average field goal percentage of 45.8% (ranked eighth). Washington is a losing 9-17 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank lower for their field goal percentage (eighth) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (fourth), but the Washington Wizards have a better FG% ranking (fifth) than their EFF% ranking (10th).
On average, the Washington Wizards make 24.0 assists per game and the Cleveland Cavaliers make 22.0. Washington is ranked sixth, while Cleveland is ranked 10th.
The Cleveland Cavaliers average 4.1 blocks per game for a rank of 25th. The Washington Wizards rank higher (15th), earning 4.6 blocks each contest.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank 11th in offensive rebounding, while the Washington Wizards rank sixth in defensive rebounding.
Cleveland averages 7.4 steals per game. Washington is 30-24 when allowing at least 7 steals.
