Cleveland Cavaliers (23-4) vs Philadelphia 76ers (8-16)
December 21, 2024 at 08:00 PM EST
The Line: Betting Odds: Cleveland Cavaliers -11.5 — Over/Under: 217.5
The Philadelphia 76ers invade the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse to battle the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday night. Here’s a Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction. This article will include a Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Pick.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers have been in fine form as they’ve won six of their last eight games overall and they will be aiming for a third straight win after taking down the Hornets in a 108-98 home win last night. Joel Embiid led the team with 34 points and nine assists on 12 of 24 shooting, Tyrese Maxey added 23 points with six assists while Kelly Oubre Jr chipped in with 22 points on eight of 10 shooting. As a team, the 76ers shot 49 percent from the field and 12 of 33 from the 3-point line as they dominated from the start, outscoring the Hornets by 41-23 in the first quarter to take a 23-point lead which was more than enough to hold off a late charge from the Hornets in the second half. The Sixers will play against the Spurs following this one.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Meanwhile, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been on fire as they’ve won seven of their last eight games overall and they will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after making light work of the red-hot Bucks in a 124-101 home win last night. Donovan Mitchell led the team with 27 points and six assists, Darius Garland added 16 points with five assists while Dean Wade and Evan Mobley scored 15 points each. As a team, the Cavaliers shot 51 percent from the field and 20 of 46 from the 3-point line as they jumped all over the Bucks from the start and took a 69-51 lead into halftime before they went on a final push to lead by as many as 36 points at one stage.
Why the Cleveland Cavaliers will win
- The Cavaliers have won 17 of their last 18 night games against teams that held a losing record.
- The 76ers have lost eight of their last nine games against teams that held a winning record.
- The 76ers have failed to cover the spread in each of their last four night games following a home win.
- The Cavaliers have covered the spread in each of their last four games against Atlantic Division opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Eight of the 76ers’ last nine games with both teams on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone UNDER the total points line.
- Each of the Cavaliers’ last four games as favorites against opponents who are on the second leg of a back-to-back have gone OVER the total points line.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Cavaliers rank 1st in the league for Q1 points per game this season (32.7).
- The Cavaliers rank 1st in the league for Q4 win percentage this season (70.4%).
- The 76ers rank 30th in the league for H2 points per game this season (52.0).
- The 76ers rank 30th in the league for pace this season (96.6).
Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction
The 76ers are still missing Caleb Martin and Jared McCain, while the Cavaliers are still without Isaac Okoro. The 76ers are coming into this game with plenty of momentum as they’ve been playing some of their best basketball of the season, but the Cavaliers have been the benchmark of the league since opening night and they must be full of confidence after smashing the red-hot Bucks last night. The line is massive for this one, so while I think the Cavaliers win easily, I still expect the 76ers to hang around and keep it to single digits in the end.