The Los Angeles Clippers (42-31) will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (59-15) in the NBA this afternoon. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET from Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The game will broadcast live on NBA League Pass.
The Cavaliers are 7.5-point favorites over the Clippers on the spread (Cavaliers -7.5), with the over/under set at 229.5 total points. Cleveland is a -278 favorite to win outright, while Los Angeles is +225 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Clippers vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, March 30.
Clippers vs. Cavaliers Prediction
My Cavaliers vs. Clippers best bet is on Cleveland to cover the first half spread, with the best line currently available at Fanatics. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
My Pick: Cavaliers First Half Spread -4.5
Clippers vs Cavaliers Odds, Spread, Picks
| Clippers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 229.5 -110o / -110u | +225 |
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 229.5 -110o / -110u | -278 |
- Clippers vs. Cavaliers spread: Cavaliers -7.5
- Clippers vs. Cavaliers over/under: 229.5 total points
- Clippers vs. Cavaliers moneyline: Cavaliers -278, Clippers +225
- Clippers vs. Cavaliers best bet: Cavaliers 1H -4.5
Los Angeles Clippers vs Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Preview
After trailing by as many as 12 points in their first meeting, Los Angeles went on a 20-3 run to close the third quarter. The Clippers outscored the Cavaliers by nine points in each of the final two periods to win the game. Cleveland simply couldn't maintain its momentum after a fast start and a 45-point first quarter.
Perhaps the sluggish second half had more to do with the Cavaliers playing their first of five games on a West Coast swing. But for whatever reason, the Cavaliers never quite seemed comfortable on the trip, finishing with a 2-3 mark. At one point, they had a run of four consecutive defeats before snapping the losing streak with back-to-back victories over the Trail Blazers and Jazz.
If anything, we've probably seen a bit of complacency from the Cavaliers after jumping out to such a massive lead in the conference. But with eight games remaining in the regular season, the Celtics haven't given up hope of catching Cleveland, as they've won eight straight games to cut the Cavaliers' lead down to four.
The Cavaliers are just 5-5 over their last 10 games, and one has to wonder if they're starting to feel a bit of pressure. As a result, I'll be looking to pick my spots when backing Cleveland over the full 48 minutes for the rest of the season.
One of the more intriguing things about this game is the mid-afternoon start time, which can be particularly difficult on the body clock for a West Coast team. If you couple that with Leonard's absence, the Cavaliers should have a decent chance to jump out to an early lead. Leonard's unavailability could be key, considering he led all scorers with 33 points in the earlier meeting.
Lastly, the Clippers are notoriously slow starters away from home, ranking 28th with 53.1 first-half points while sitting 29th against the spread (14-23, -12.35 units) in this spot. Given those lopsided numbers, I recommend laying the points with Cleveland in the first half.
Clippers vs Cavaliers Betting Predictions
After making a case for the Cavaliers to cover the first half spread, I'll also look to a Clippers' player prop to round out my same game parlay for today's matchup.
Clippers guard Norman Powell is the second-leading scorer on the team with 22.4 points. He's also very effective from the perimeter, shooting 42.4%. His role on the team is almost limited to scoring because he's not asked to create offense like James Harden or chip in on the glass and grab rebounds with Ivica Zubac.
Powell has a rebounds + assists prop of 5.5, which aligns with his season average. However, when facing opposing defenses that rank in the top 10 for assists allowed, he has stayed under this line in four of his last five games.
The Cavaliers fit this criteria, and it's worth noting that Powell has stayed under this number in each of their last three meetings. As a result, there's a strong case for the under here, and we get a 2-to-1 return when combined with the Cavaliers 1H point spread.
Clippers vs Cavaliers Best Bet
- Cavaliers 1H -4.5 (-110)
Clippers vs Cavaliers Parlay Picks
- Cavaliers First Half -4.5
- Norman Powell Under 5.5 Rebounds + Assists
Parlay Payout: +185
Clippers vs Cavaliers Betting Trends
- 67% of bets and 63% of the money are on the Clippers to cover the spread
- 78% of bets and 58% of the money on the moneyline are on the Cavaliers to win outright
- 90% of bets and 90% of the money are on the over
Betting trends via our live, updating NBA public betting & money percentages page.
