The Los Angeles Lakers (9-38) are currently on a seven-game losing streak and will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (32-12) at the Quicken Loans Arena. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 10 and will air on ESP, FxO and TWC.
The Cavaliers won big over the Suns 115-93 in their last matchup. LeBron James was the game’s high scorer with 21 points on 7-for-8 shooting. The Lakers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their bitter 92-90 loss at the hands of the Mavericks in their last outing. Jordan Clarkson had a good shooting night, leading the team with 18 points.
The high-powered Cavaliers offense (fourth in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 106.6) will square off against the bottom-tier Lakers defense (30th in the league with a defensive efficiency of 109.0), a matchup that should favor the Cavaliers. Furthermore, the 29th-ranked offense of the Lakers (offensive efficiency of 97.8) will face a tough test against the fifth-ranked defense of the Cavaliers (defensive efficiency of 100.8).
The Cavaliers have gone 37-14 Straight Up (SU) and 23-26-2 Against The Spread (ATS). They have an ATS record of 7-3 in their last 10 games, but are just 2-8 SU. The Cleveland defense has been very good, only giving up 96.7 points per game. The Cavaliers prevent teams from making three-pointers, ranking fourth in the league with 328 total three-pointers allowed (7.0 per game).
As for their opponent, Los Angeles has a SU record of 11-43 and an ATS record of 26-28. In Eastern Conference games, Los Angeles has gone 11-43 SU and 26-28 ATS. The Lakers have shown improvement on the offensive end over the most recent 10 game stretch. Over that span, Los Angeles is averaging 107.3 PPG, significantly more than their season average of 96.2.
These two will be facing off in their first head-to-head clash of the season. When they last met the Cavaliers were winners, moving their SU record against the Lakers to 6-4 in their last 10 head-to-head meetings. The Cavaliers also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle
Notes
“Cleveland is 18-5 SU in its last 23 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland’s last 7 games “.
“Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games at home”.
“Cleveland is 21-4 SU in its last 25 games at home”.
“Cleveland is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing LA Lakers”.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland’s last 5 games when playing LA Lakers”.
“Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers”.
“Cleveland is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against LA Lakers”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Cleveland’s last 10 games when playing at home against LA Lakers”.
Cleveland puts up an average of 102.5 points per game (ranked 10th). Los Angeles ranks 27th in points allowed per game with 105.9.
Los Angeles ranks 24th in points allowed per road game (108.2 PPG), while Cleveland ranks seventh in points per home game with 105.6.
In its last game, Cleveland won by a 22-point margin. Los Angeles is 2-14 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Cleveland has a 7-2 record in blowouts.
In games where they allow fewer than 100 points, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a formidable 20-6. In games where they fail to hit triple digits, the Los Angeles Lakers have an abysmal record of 4-29.
In games where they allow 100 or more points, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a winning 12-6. In games where they hit triple digits, the Los Angeles Lakers have a poor record of 5-9.
Ranked fourth, the Cavaliers have an offensive rating of 106.6. The Lakers, on the other hand, rank 30th with a defensive rating of 109.0.
The Los Angeles Lakers average 98.4 possessions per game and .978 points per possession. The Cleveland Cavaliers earn fewer possessions with 95.2, but they score more points with 1.066.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking sixth in the league with an EFF% of 51.3%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Los Angeles Lakers are winless with a 0-27 record.
On average, Cleveland attempts 28.0 three pointers and Los Angeles attempts 24.0 per game. In games where the teams have 25 or more three point attempts, the Cavaliers have a solid 22-10 record while the Lakers have an underachieving 4-19 record.
Cleveland has an assist to turnover ratio of 1.70 this season (ranked seventh), while Los Angeles ranks lower at 26th with an A/TO of 1.37.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rebound 44.8 times per game and are ranked ninth. Ranked 18th, the Los Angeles Lakers rebound 42.9 times per game.
Cleveland is ranked 10th in defensive rebounds, while Los Angeles ranks 12th in offensive rebounds.
The Lakers’ opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 12.7% this season. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a solid 19-8 record when their TOV% is 12.7% or higher.
