The Cleveland Cavaliers (19-7) travel to Golden State to take on the Warriors (27-1) in a matchup that pits the top-ranked offense against the fourth-ranked defense. The game gets underway at 5:00 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 25 and will air on ABC, C+ and C+D.
The Warriors won big over the Jazz 103-85 on Wednesday. Stephen Curry had 16 points, nine assists, and five rebounds for Golden State. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are coming off a 91-84 win over the Knicks on Wednesday. Kevin Love played well, accumulating 23 points and 13 rebounds to claim his 12th double-double of the season.
Over the last five games, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have played at a high level for the Warriors. During that stretch, Green has averaged 20.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 2.6 steals, 1.8 blocks, and 1.6 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Thompson has put up 25.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 3.8 three-pointers.
This matchup figures to be a high-scoring affair as the Warriors rank first in the NBA in offensive efficiency (113.4), while the Cavaliers are fourth (105.6). Also, the Cavaliers’s fourth-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 105.6) will face off against the fourth-ranked defense of the Warriors (defensive efficiency of 98.6).
The Warriors, a seven-point favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Cleveland. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at 212 points. The Warriors enter the game with records of 27-1 Straight Up (SU) and 17-9-2 Against The Spread (ATS). Even though they have a 2-3 record ATS, they are 5-0 at home against Eastern Conference opponents. The Warriors, sporting the second-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA (1.83), have proven themselves to be an extremely efficient offensive team. Turning to the defensive side, the Golden State defense overall is very good at home, only giving up 96.3 points per game.
On the other side, the Cavaliers head into the game with records of 11-15 ATS and 19-7 SU. Although the team has done very well in games against Western Conference foes (4-1), Cleveland sports a lackluster 2-3 record ATS.
This is the first meeting of the season for the Warriors and the Cavaliers. The last time they played Golden State came out on top, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over the Cavaliers in the last 10 games. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5.
Predictions: SU Winner – GS, ATS Winner – GS, O/U – Over
Notes
Golden State is 24-1 SU in its last 25 games.
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Golden State’s last 12 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 15 of Golden State’s last 23 games at home.
Golden State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Golden State is 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing Cleveland.
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Golden State’s last 9 games when playing Cleveland.
Golden State is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Cleveland.
Cleveland is 2-7 ATS in its last 9 games when playing on the road against Golden State.
Cleveland has allowed an average of 95.2 points per game this season. Golden State averages 115.5 points per game, placing the team at the top of the NBA in scoring.
Cleveland has allowed an average of 94.0 points per away game this season. Golden State averages 113.9 points per home game, placing the team at the top of the NBA in scoring.
The Golden State Warriors won their last game by 18 points. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, the Cleveland Cavaliers are 3-0. Golden State is 7-0 in blowouts this season.
Cleveland has a 12-3 record when opponents score fewer than 100 points. Golden State has yet to win a game in which it puts up under 100 (0-1).
When allowing at least 100 points, Cleveland is 7-4. In games in which it reaches the century mark, Golden State is a perfect 27-0.
Cleveland’s offense and Golden State’s defense both rank fourth this season. Cleveland has an offensive rating of 105.6 and Golden State has a defensive rating of 98.6.
Golden State has an average field goal percentage of 48.7%, first-ranked in the NBA. Cleveland is a winning 5-3 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Cleveland Cavaliers rank lower for their field goal percentage (ninth) than their effective field goal percentage (fourth), while the Golden State Warriors rank the same for both metrics (first).
Among all teams, Golden State is best in the league in assists, registering an average of 28.8 per game. Cleveland ranks slightly lower in total assists, at eighth (23.0 per game).
Golden State, 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 Golden State Warriors rank ninth in offensive rebounding, while the Cleveland Cavaliers rank seventh in defensive rebounding.
The Golden State Warriors rank 10th in steals, with an average of 8.5 per game. When the Cleveland Cavaliers allow at least 8 steals, they have a solid 7-3 record.
