The Cleveland Cavaliers (28-4) and Los Angeles Lakers (18-13) will square off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The game will broadcast live on NBA League Pass.
The Cavs are 4.5-point favorites over the Lakers on the spread, with the over/under set at 227.5 total points. Cleveland is a -190 favorite to win outright, while Los Angeles is +155 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Cavaliers vs. Lakers predictions and NBA picks for New Year's Eve.
Cavaliers vs. Lakers Prediction, Picks
Spread
My Lakers vs. Cavaliers best bet is on Los Angeles to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at BetMGM. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Over/Under
I'm staying away from the total in tonight's matchup.
My Pick: Cavaliers -4.5
Cavaliers vs. Lakers Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -110 | 227.5 -110 / -110 | -190 |
| Lakers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -110 | 227.5 -110 / -110 | +155 |
- Cavaliers vs. Lakers spread: Cavaliers -4.5
- Cavaliers vs. Lakers over/under: 227.5 total points
- Cavaliers vs. Lakers moneyline: Cavaliers -190, Lakers +155
- Cavaliers vs. Lakers best bet: Cavaliers -4.5
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers Preview
Yesterday, LeBron James celebrated his 40th birthday. The NBA's all-time leading scorer is averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and nine assists per game. His Lakers are entering this game with some momentum, having won five of their last six games. However, they will have a tough test tonight when they welcome James' former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, to Crypto.com Arena.
The Cavaliers improved to 2-0 on their road trip with a 113-95 victory over the Warriors last night. They have won seven games in a row overall and enter tonight's matchup with the league's best record at 28-4 on the year. The Lakers will have a rest advantage for this game, having last played Saturday. However, no Cavaliers starter played 30 minutes last night as they built a 26-point lead and were able to cruise to a comfortable victory.
The Cavaliers' backcourt, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, led the way once again with 48 points and 12 assists combined. Mitchell helped Cleveland take control of the game with five 3-pointers in the third quarter, his most in any quarter in his career. Meanwhile, Garland showed consistency in his third straight game with 23 points and seven assists.
Evan Mobley had a quiet game last night but has taken a leap in his fourth season. He is averaging 18.4 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. His career-high for double-doubles in a season is 24, and he is more than halfway there with 13 so far.
Meanwhile, the Lakers acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton for D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks. Finney-Smith is expected to bolster Los Angeles' perimeter defense, but he will come off the bench tonight. That means Max Christie likely remains a starter for this game.
The 21-year-old has earned more time on the court lately. He's averaging 28.8 minutes and 10.4 points while shooting 41% from three in December. In his last three games, he has played over 30 minutes and scored 16 points in each game. The Lakers will need another strong performance on both ends from Christie to pull off the upset tonight. However, if the Lakers win tonight, James will likely lead the way.
James is no stranger to big games to close the year, as he had 34 points, five rebounds and eight assists on New Year's Eve against New Orleans last year. James enters this matchup scoring 29 points in five of his past seven games.
Cavaliers vs. Lakers Best Bets, Predictions
With last night's win, the Cavaliers improved to 8-0 against the Western Conference. They have won each game by over five points and an average margin of 16.8 points. That includes a 134-110 win against the Lakers at the beginning of this season.
Cleveland has won and covered three of the last five meetings, and all three victories were by double digits. This one does come on the second night of back-to-back games, but the Cavaliers are 4-2 against the spread on the second night of a back-to-back. They are also the more profitable team to support this season at 23-9 ATS compared to 15-16 for the Lakers.
Meanwhile, for tonight's same game parlay, I am looking to end the year on a high note with an 8-to-1 ticket, but these lines have all high recent hit rates. James scored 20 points in each of his last seven games against Cleveland. He scored 24 in five of those games, including 26 in the first meeting this season.
He is fourth in the league in assists and may set up Christie with a couple tonight. At 8.5 points, Christie has doubled this line recently, but there is also room for regression and still being able to clear this line.
Mobley has scored 15 points in eight of his last 10 games and two of his last three games. He had 25 points in the first meeting this season. Additionally, the Lakers are giving up 45 points per game to power forwards and centers.
Garland will set up a few of Mobley's baskets, as the Lakers are 28th in assists allowed to point guards. However, he will also create his own offense. He has scored 20 in seven of his last 10 games and four of his last six against the Lakers.
Garland also has had 10 assists in four of his last seven games against the Lakers. As a result, I will be backing Garland's points + assists line, which has cleared in four straight games overall and in five of his last seven games against the Lakers.
Best Bet: Cavaliers -4.5 (Play to -5.5)
Cavaliers vs. Lakers Parlay Picks
- LeBron James Over 23.5 Points
- Darius Garland Over 26.5 Points + Assists
- Evan Mobley 15 Points
- Max Christie Over 8.5 Points
Parlay Payout: +850
