The Cleveland Cavaliers (38-26) will try to prolong their five-game road winning streak in a matchup against the Los Angeles Clippers (34-29) at Staples Center. The game will air on NBATV at 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 9, 2018.
Los Angeles opened as a 1-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 231 points.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Clippers ATS Prediction
The Cavaliers will be looking for similar success after beating the Denver Nuggets in their last game, 113-108. Cleveland’s 9.5 turnover percentage was their biggest advantage over Denver, who had a rate of 18.3. The Cavaliers’ mark was better than their season average of 12.6, while the Nuggets’ was above their season average of 13.3. With 39 points on 15-for-25 shooting, LeBron James was the top scorer from either team.
In the Clippers’ last matchup, they fell to the New Orleans Pelicans, 121-116. New Orleans’ turnover percentage was their biggest strength over Los Angeles. The Pelicans had a rate of 6.7 (better than their season average of 13.2), while the Clippers posted a mark of 10.5. Los Angeles’ Tobias Harris put up 27 points and 11 rebounds in the game.
A focal point for the Los Angeles offense is getting to the free throw line. The Clippers rank fifth in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.225), but Cleveland is among the best in the NBA at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking first by yielding a FTA rate of 0.165).
Cleveland heads into the contest with records of 38-26 straight up (SU) and 21-42-1 against the spread (ATS). Games featuring the Cavaliers have finished over the O/U total 50.0 percent of the time.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles owns records of 34-29 SU and 35-27-1 ATS. Of the Clippers’ 63 games, 34 have finished over the O/U total.
Larry Nance Jr. has averaged 12.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks over the last five games for Cleveland.
This is the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, James scored a game-high 39 points and the Cavaliers defeated the Clippers 118-113 but were not able to cover as 6-point favorites. He also had 14 rebounds and six assists. The game finished with a total of 231 points, which was 8.5 points above the projected point total of 222.5 points. Getting to the charity stripe was one of Cleveland’s largest advantages. They made 29 trips to the line, while Los Angeles went just 14 times.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Clippers Betting Pick
Free NBA Tip: SU Winner – Clippers, ATS Winner – Clippers, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Cleveland is 14-17 ATS with 16 overs and 15 unders.
At home, Los Angeles is 15-17 ATS with 18 overs, 13 unders and 1 push.
When holding opponents below 100 points, Cleveland is 14-2 and Los Angeles is 11-2.
When reaching the century mark, the Clippers are 32-19 and the Cavaliers are 37-14.
Cleveland ranks fourth in blocks allowed per game (4.1) while Los Angeles ranks 27th (5.4).
The Clippers average 50.8 points in the paint per game, which ranks third in the league. The Cavaliers rank 23rd in points allowed in the paint per game (46.3).
Cleveland averages 32.5 three pointers per game, which ranks fourth in the NBA. Los Angeles ranks 23rd in three pointers allowed per game (30.2).
The Cavaliers rank 12th in fast break points allowed per game (11.3) while the Clippers rank last (15.1).
Cleveland averages 23.6 assists per game, which ranks eighth in the NBA. Los Angeles ranks 23rd in assists allowed per game (24.3).
The Cavaliers rank 12th in steals allowed per game (7.6) while the Clippers rank 25th (8.4).
Los Angeles ranks 15th in rebounds per game (44.0) while Cleveland ranks 23rd in rebounds allowed per game (44.1).
The Clippers rank ninth in second chance points per game (13.0) while the Cavaliers rank 16th in second chance points allowed per game (12.6).
Cleveland ranks 16th in points off turnovers per game (16.4) while Los Angeles ranks 19th in points off turnovers allowed per game (17.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Cleveland is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Los Angeles is 2-3 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under over their last five games.
The Cavaliers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 2.6, up from 0.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Clippers have scored an average of 116.2 points per game (7.0 above their season average) and allowed an average of 114.2 points per game (6.0 above their season average).
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