The Cleveland Cavaliers (13-6) and their third-ranked offense travel to Miami (11-6) to take on the Heat and their second-ranked defense. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Saturday, Dec. 5 and can be seen on NBA, FxO and SUN.
The Heat enter this game hoping for similar success after edging the Thunder 97-95 on Thursday. Dwyane Wade was the game’s leading scorer with 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 114-108 loss against the Pelicans on Friday. LeBron James had a game-high 37 points.
It will be a showdown of two heavyweights, as the prolific offense of the Cavaliers (third in the league with an offensive efficiency of 105.3) takes the court against the elite defense of the Heat (second in the NBA with a defensive efficiency of 96.3).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Cavaliers winning the first matchup 102-92. Kevin Love put up a double-double in the victory with 24 points and 14 rebounds.
The odds for the Heat and Cavaliers are even, while the Over/Under (O/U) is sitting at 192 points. The Heat have gone 11-6 Straight Up (SU) and 8-9 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 5-5 SU and 4-6 ATS against the Eastern Conference. Not making mistakes with the ball is a staple of Miami’s offense, which averages just 13.2 turnovers per game.
In the other locker room, the Cavaliers were a poor bet so far, with a disappointing record of 7-11 ATS. Their SU record, 13-5, hasn’t been quite as bad. Despite having a winning record against the Eastern Conference, Cleveland is unsuccessful ATS in those games with a record of 6-10. The Cavaliers allow just 97.3 points per road game, ranking them fifth in the league.
Cleveland beat Miami in their most recent meeting this season, but the win was not enough to overtake Miami in the most recent head-to-head series. Its record is now 3-7 SU over the last 10 meetings. With a 6-4 record, the Cavaliers have the advantage ATS.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle, ATS Winner – Cle, O/U – Under
Notes
Miami is 3-6 ATS in its last 9 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 14 of Miami’s last 16 games.
Miami is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games.
Miami is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Miami’s last 11 games at home.
Miami is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games when playing Cleveland.
Miami is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Cleveland.
Miami is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Cleveland.
Cleveland scores 102.4 points per game (ranked eighth), but Miami typically allows only 92.7 points per game (ranked second).
Cleveland puts up 100.4 points per away game, ranking 12th in the league. Miami allows just 93.1 points per home game (ranked second).
Cleveland has an outstanding 8-2 record when it gives up under 100 points this season. Miami is 7-6 when it scores under 100.
Cleveland has a 5-4 record when it allows at least 100 points. Miami is a perfect 4-0 when it hits triple digits this season.
The Heat have a defensive rating of 96.3, second-best in the NBA. The Cavaliers also rank in the top half of the league for their offensive rating of 105.3 (ranked third).
The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking sixth in the league with a FG% of 45.4%. The Miami Heat have split their games 1-1 when opponents have a similar or higher FG%.
The Miami Heat rank higher for their field goal percentage (seventh) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (14th). The Cleveland Cavaliers rank higher for their effective field goal percentage (second) than they do for their field goal percentage (sixth).
On average, the Cleveland Cavaliers make 23.3 assists per game and the Miami Heat make 19.6. Cleveland is ranked sixth, while Miami is ranked 25th.
The Miami Heat top the league in blocking, with 7.6 made per game. The Cleveland Cavaliers average 4.1 blocks per game (ranked 24th).
The Miami Heat rank 20th in offensive rebounding, while the Cleveland Cavaliers rank third in defensive rebounding.
The Miami Heat make an average of 6.9 steals per game. When the Cleveland Cavaliers allow 6 or more steals, they are a solid 11-6.
