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Horse Racing Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers Best Bet: Taco Tuesday in Cleveland
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers Best Bet: Tuesday, December 6th
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the LA Lakers cross paths once again in the 2022/23 campaign, this time at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Their most recent encounter was a comfortable 100-114 win for the Cavaliers in Los Angeles, but the Lakers are in much better form compared to early November and we might see a much different outcome.
In this article:
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview
- Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers Best Bet
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers Preview
Wed, Dec 7th. 00:30 (UK time)
The Cleveland Cavaliers have come out of the gates hot this season, and are deservedly sitting in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference standings with an impressive 15-9 record. They have won 7 of their last 10 games but are coming off a 92-81 loss to the New York Knicks. However, they have only covered the spread in 2 of their last 6 games, and their offensive game has seen better days. For tonight, Ricky Rubio and Dean Wade will sit out, whilst Jarret Allen is listed as ‘questionable’.
The Cavs are the slowest team in the league with a pace rating of just 95.7 and are also 23rd in fastbreak points per game with 11.6. They have averaged just 98.2 points during their last 5, and their percentages from both inside and out have taken a dip. The Cavs have made just 44.6% of their field goals and 31.4% of their 3-pointers during this period. Their defence has been great all season, allowing just 105.0 points per game, whilst also facing a very low number of shots.
Meanwhile, the Lakers have finally found their game after a horrible start to the season and are now racking up wins left and right. They have won 8 of their last 10 games and are now on a 3-game winning streak, but still sitting in 13th place in the west. It’s going to take a lot more of this to climb the conference rankings but for now, there are some things to like about the Lakers. With Davis and LeBron listed as ‘probable’ for this game, their injury report is clear of any major absences and coach Darvin Ham should have everyone fit to play.
When it comes to their overall game, the Lakers have finally found their stride and are looking like the team many expected to see. They are using their fast-paced style of play to get easy baskets, and are now ranking 6th in fastbreak points with a tendency to climb even more. They have averaged 122.6 points per game over their last 10 and their 3-point shooting has finally improved, making almost 13 threes per game on 41.2% shooting. They are coming off a huge offensive night against the Wizards where Anthony Davis exploded for 55 points and 17 rebounds.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers Best Bet
The bookmakers are expecting the Cavs to hold on to victory at home tonight, placing them at 1.60 odds whilst the Lakers are available at 2.61.
However, the playing style of these two teams simply doesn’t match up well and the Cavs might end up holding the short end of the stick. As good as their defence has been so far, they are 18th in opponent fastbreak points, and they don’t shoot or make a lot of threes. The Lakers are faster, better rebounders and they have covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 road games. I’m not looking to back them in the moneyline market, but +5.0 points in the handicap should do the trick.
- Selection: Lakers +5.0
- Best odds: 1.89 (1xBet)
- Stakes: 4/10
Odds as at 1:30 pm on December 6th, 2022. Odds may now differ.
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