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The Cleveland Cavaliers host the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday as part of their three-game homestand. The Cavaliers were off to a good start with an overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. The Nets, meanwhile, are coming off back-to-back losses to the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets.
Sunday's game will be the fourth and final matchup between the Cavs and Nets this season. The Cavs are looking for the sweep after winning on Oct. 25, Jan. 11 and Feb. 8. It will be their first game to be held at Rocket Mortgage Arena, as two were played at the Barclays Center, while the other was in France.
The Cavs have dominated the matchup since Nov. 17, 2021, with five wins since Mar. 21, 2023. It has also been a tough time for Brooklyn this season, with no clear star player and a changing of their coach in the middle of the campaign.
Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers preview, prediction, odds and betting tips
The Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers game is on Sunday at the Rocket Mortgage Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. It starts at 7:00 p.m. EST and will be televised on the YES Network and Bally Sports Ohio.
Moneyline: Nets (+240) vs Cavaliers (-285)
Spread: Nets +7.5 (-115) vs Cavaliers -7.5 (-105)
Total (O/U): Nets o207.5 (-110) vs Cavaliers u207.5 (-110)
Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers preview
The Nets appear ready for the lottery after two straight losses against two of the worst teams in the Eastern Conference. They were outlasted by the Detroit Pistons 118-110 on Thursday before an embarrassing 110-99 loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers continue to impress despite the absence of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus. They earned a hard-fought 113-104 overtime win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
They also had a memorable come-from-behind 105-104 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineups
The Nets have four players out on Sunday – Ben Simmons, Cam Johnson, Lonnie Walker IV and Dariq Whitehead. Interim coach Kevin Ollie will likely use a starting five of Dennis Schroder, Cam Thomas, Mikal Bridges, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nic Claxton.
Meanwhile, five players remain injured for the Cavs, including Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Max Strus. J.B. Bickerstaff has no other choice but to adapt a temporary lineup of Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Georges Niang, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen.
Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers betting tips
Darius Garland is projected to score just 21.6 points and go under 24.5 points. Garland was on fire against Minnesota with 34 points but failed to score past 20 in his previous three. Bet on Garland to go under, as he will likely focus on distributing the ball rather than scoring.
Mikal Bridges is also projected to go under, which is not a surprise. He has not scored at least 20 points in his last four games. Bet on him to continue the trend and score under 20.5 points.
Jarrett Allen, meanwhile, has an over/under of 20.5 points despite averaging just 15.6 points for the season. He has scored at least 21 points twice in his last four games, including a 33-point game against the Timberwolves. Take the risk, and bet on Allen to go over.
Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers prediction
The Cavs are the favorites to beat the Nets on Sunday despite three key players sitting out due to injury. They are playing like a team and are certainly better than the dysfunctional Brooklyn.
Oddsmakers predict the Cavs to win, the Nets to cover the spread and the total to go over.
Guess the Lakers players!
