Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers: Picks, Predictions, Odds and Player Props

Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers raised eyebrows with their respective coaching appointments in the summer.

Cavs hire Kenny Atkinson was seen as a coach with plenty of promise but he had never really achieved anything of note, while former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick was an unknown quantity, with the Lakers handing him his maiden coaching job. 

However, both teams have silenced the doubters with Atkinson’s Cavs boasting the best record (28-4) in the NBA and Redick enjoying a strong start in LA, leading his side to a respectable 18-13. 

The pair will clash at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night, both hoping to end 2024 on a high, although the visitors seem more likely to leave the City of Angels with a win in hand. 

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers betting picks and predictions

Cleveland Cavaliers -5.0 (-110)

In yesterday’s preview for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ clash with the Golden State Warriors we stated the -4.5 line seemed extremely generous. That proved to be precisely the case as the Eastern Conference leaders cruised to a 113-95 victory over Stephen Curry and company, suggesting the same may be true of the identical line in this clash with the Lakers. 

Redick’s side have won just two more games than the Warriors, hinting that they are not too much better than the Cavs’ last victims, and they could be the latest side on the end of a Cleveland thrashing. 

The Cavaliers’ last 12 victories have come by a margin of at least five points, they have just one loss in their last 13 games and they are on a seven-game winning streak. The Lakers, meanwhile, have suffered four losses in their last seven home games and seemingly lack the resilience to keep the Cavs at bay for too long. 

A defensive rating of 114.9 ranks the Lakers in the bottom 10 for that statistic, suggesting they may struggle against the league’s second-best offense, with the Memphis Grizzlies (123.4) the only side averaging more points per game than Cleveland’s 122.4. 

A superior historic head-to-head record of 70-54 will give the Lakers some hope but the reality is most of those wins came a long while ago. They should be fearing the Cavs, who ran out 134-110 winners when the pair met in October. 

Evan Mobley Over 17.5 points (-105)

As mentioned in the last section, the Lakers look set to be under a lot of pressure from the free-flowing Cavs on Tuesday, with Redick lacking the defenders or coaching ability to put a stop to that likely barrage. 

Even a fully-fit LA would struggle to cope with the league’s best team but, to make matters worse, they are far from healthy. Christian Wood is a certain absentee while their two star men and best defenders, LeBron James and Anthony Davis, are also doubtful. 

Even if the latter two play, they are unlikely to be at full speed and it is also worth remembering that they have a combined age of 71. The fresher and younger legs of Evan Mobley could, therefore, get the better of them and the Cavs forward can enjoy a big night in LA. 

Mobley endured a tricky night against the Warriors, getting up only six shots and making just two of those, but he was well-guarded by Draymond Green and the other Warriors forwards on that occasion. He should have more freedom in LA this time around. 

The Cavs star had scored over 21 points in each of his previous three games before last night's clash against the Warriors, and Mobley should see a return to that sort of output against a side he notched 25 against in October. 

Darius Garland Over 6.5 assists (+105)

A positive price for someone playing as well as Darius Garland to register seven assists against a bottom-10 defense in the league certainly seems like one worth taking. 

Garland has been racking up the points of late, notching 73 across his last three games, but he has also been providing for his talented teammates too, registering at least seven assists in each of those outings. 

With Donovan Mitchell by his side, Mobley and Jarrett Allen causing havoc in the paint and Dean Wade capable of catching fire from three, Garland always has plenty of capable scorers ahead of him to pass to. The point guard could exploit any gaps left by a weak Lakers defense to rack up a fair few assists in LA. 

The Cavs star racked up 10 assists when these sides last met and he can enjoy another big playmaking night against the Lakers. 

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Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers odds

Cleveland Cavaliers	-185 ML
Los Angeles Lakers	+155 ML
Spread	CLE Cavaliers -5.0
Total Points	O/U 228.5

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers player props

Player Points

Anthony Davis (LA Lakers)	O/U 25.5
LeBron James (LA Lakers)	O/U 23.5
Donovan Mitchell (CLE Cavaliers)	O/U 21.5
Darius Garland (CLE Cavaliers)	O/U 20.5
Austin Reaves (LA Lakers)	O/U 18.5
Evan Mobley (CLE Cavaliers)	O/U 17.5

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.