The Eastern Conference’s top team will be at home when the Cleveland Cavaliers (17-7) welcome the Philadelphia 76ers (1-27) to Gund Arena. Action begins at 3:30 pm ET on Sunday, Dec. 20 and can be seen on FxO, CSP and C+D.
The Cavaliers enter this game hoping for similar success after topping the Thunder 104-100 on Thursday. LeBron James played a pivotal role, recording his 10th double-double of the season with 33 points and 11 assists. The 76ers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 107-97 loss against the Knicks on Friday. Jahlil Okafor led the team in scoring with 20 points.
The Cavaliers have emerged victorious in both games against the 76ers this year, including a 108-102 win the last time these two teams met. James put up a double-double in the victory with 31 points and 13 assists.
This one isn’t expected to be close when the Cavaliers, a big 16-point favorite, take on the 76ers. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 198 points. The Cavaliers come into this game 17-7 Straight Up (SU) and 10-14 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 13-6 SU and 8-11 ATS against the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers are one of the best in the NBA in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .457 from the field. Turning to the defensive side, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Cavaliers. The 96.0 points that Cleveland’s defense allows per game makes them the third-ranked defense in the league.
Over on the other bench, the 76ers have 1-27 SU and 11-16-1 ATS records. Philadelphia has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 1-8-1 record.
In their previous meeting this season, Cleveland beat Philadelphia, bumping its SU record to 7-3 over the 76ers in their last 10 meetings. With an 8-2 record, the 76ers have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle, ATS Winner – Cle, O/U – Under
Notes
Cleveland is 7-14 ATS in its last 21 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Cleveland’s last 9 games.
Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Cleveland’s last 10 games at home.
Cleveland is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Cleveland’s last 13 games when playing Philadelphia.
Cleveland is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing Philadelphia.
Cleveland is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Philadelphia.
Cleveland is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Philadelphia.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Cleveland’s last 12 games when playing at home against Philadelphia.
Cleveland scores an average of 101.6 points per game (ranked 13th). Philadelphia ranks 24th in points allowed per game with 104.3.
Philadelphia ranks 29th in points allowed per road game (102.7 PPG), while Cleveland ranks ninth in points per home game with 104.2.
Cleveland has a 10-3 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. Philadelphia has yet to win a game in which it puts up fewer than 100 (0-21).
In games where they allow 100 or more points, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a solid 7-4. In games where they hit triple digits, the Philadelphia 76ers have an abysmal record of 1-6.
The 76ers have a defensive rating of 105.4 (ranked 25th). The Cavaliers rank fourth for their offensive rating of 105.4.
Cleveland averages fewer possessions per game than Philadelphia, with 96.3 compared to 98.4. However, the Cavaliers score an average of 1.054 points per possession, more than the .928 that the 76ers score.
Cleveland is ranked fourth in the NBA with an average effective field goal percentage of 51.7%. Philadelphia has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-10).
On average, the Cleveland Cavaliers make 22.9 assists per game and the Philadelphia 76ers make 18.7. Cleveland is ranked seventh, while Philadelphia is ranked 26th.
Philadelphia, the third-ranked team in terms of blocking, makes an average of 6.6 blocks per game. Cleveland ranks lower at 27th with 3.8.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank 17th in offensive rebounding, while the Philadelphia 76ers rank 25th in defensive rebounding.
Philadelphia makes an average of 7.9 steals per game. Cleveland has a winning 11-4 record when it gives up at least 7 steals.
