Could the Cleveland Cavaliers be in danger of losing the No. 1 seed in the East?
Cleveland has dropped five of its last 10 games, and it’s seen its lead over the Boston Celtics in the standings get whittled down to just four games.
On Sunday, the Cavs are favored at home against a surging Los Angeles Clippers team that won’t have star Kawhi Leonard in action (knee injury management).
The Clippers currently have the No. 6 seed in the West, and they’ve won eight of their last 10. Still, without Kawhi, they’re set as pretty sizable underdogs.
Here’s a full breakdown of the odds, players to watch in the prop market and my prediction for this matchup.
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Spread
Moneyline
Total
Clippers Injury Report
Cavs Injury Report
Los Angeles Clippers Best NBA Prop Bet
Norman Powell has not scored the ball at a high rate since the All-Star break due to multiple injuries, but he could be in line for a ton of usage on Sunday with Kawhi out.
This season, Powell is averaging 24.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 31 games without Kawhi in action. He has shot the ball too well (48.7 percent from the field, 42.4 percent from 3) in the 2024-25 season to pass up in a potentially No. 1 role in this offense.
Cleveland Cavaliers Best NBA Prop Bet
The Clippers are one of the best defenses in the NBA this season, and they rank fifth in defensive rating over their last 10 games.
That doesn’t set up well for Garland, who has really struggled since the All-Star break, averaging just 17.7 points per game while shooting 39.5 percent from the field and 32.3 percent from beyond the arc.
The Clippers have been one of the worst teams in the NBA against the spread on the road this season, but I’m buying them in this matchup with these teams going in opposite directions ahead of the playoffs.
Cleveland has slipped to 14th in the NBA in net rating over its last 10 games, and it suddenly looked mortal after a dominant first 60 or so games to the 2024-25 season.
The Clippers have the No. 1 net rating in the league over their last 10 games (+15.3), and even without Kawhi I think they can hang around in this game. Cleveland has a net rating of just +1.5 over its last 10 games, and it has fallen to 20-15-1 against the spread as a home favorite.
I’m all over the Clips to keep this close on Sunday afternoon.
Pick: Clippers +8 (-112 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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Find Peter Dewey’s NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
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