The Cleveland Cavaliers play their second straight game at the Staples Center on Tuesday night.
Cleveland received a beating from the Lakers on Monday night. The Purple and Gold put on a strong second-half effort to dismiss their visitors 128-99 and end Cleveland’s two-game road winning streak. On Tuesday, the Cavs will return to the Staples Center to test Los Angeles’ other team. The Clippers don’t have the same record as the Lakers but they are the preseason favorites to win it all this year. The Clippers have lost just four times at the Staples Center this season while the Cavs have won just six times in 20 games away from home.
The Cavs are playing back to back games at the Staples Center. After losing by 29 points to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night and having their two-game road winning streak snapped, Cleveland faces the unenviable task of facing the other Los Angeles team- the Clippers.
Collin Sexton leads Cleveland is scoring at 18.7 points per game while Kevin Love is having a double-double season with 16.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Tristan Thompson is also having a 10-10 year with 13.0 points and a team-high 10.6 rebounds per contest. Darius Garland and Cedi Osman are also putting up double-digit scoring averages this year.
Cleveland is 26th overall in scoring at 105.1 points per game this season. They are 20th in rebounding at 44.4 boards grabbed per contest and are 27th in assists at 21.4 dimes per outing. The Cavaliers have the 10th worst scoring defense in the league at 113.3 points per gave given up.
The Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night, 104-114 at the Pepsi Center. The loss was the Clippers’ second to the Nuggets this season and they are now 8-6 SU when playing without Paul George. George missed his second straight game with a strained left hamstring and is still under evaluation.
Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 30 points while super subs Lou Williams added 26 and Montrezl Harrell chipped in 25 points. Los Angeles cut a 20 point lead down to six with 1:11 left to play but Nikola Jokic closed out the show with two free throws off a foul by Patrick Beverley.
The Clippers are 4th overall in scoring at 115.6 points per game this season. They rank 4th off the boards with an average of 48.1 rebounds per game and are 18th in passing at 23.4 assists per contest. Los Angeles ranks 15th in scoring defense at 109.5 opponent’s points per game allowed.
Cleveland is 4-6 SU in their last 10 games played. The Cavs are 3-2 SU in their last five games played on the road, and 3-1 SU on the road against teams from the Western Conference. Los Angeles is 6-4 SU in their last 10 games played. The Clippers are 3-2 SU in their last five games played at home, and 7-1 SU in eight home games versus the Eastern Conference. Head to head, these teams have split their last 10 meetings but the Clippers have won the last three.
The Cavs are coming off a 29 point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night. They were no match for the star power of LeBron James and the brute of Dwight Howard who led the home team to a comfortable win. Kevin Love had a big game with 21 points but he and the Cavs will be playing the Clippers on the second of back to back games.
The Clippers are coming off a loss to the Nuggets and will surely be fired up to get back on track, especially against a lowly team like the Cavs. Kawhi and company took Monday off and are well-rested for this contest. Paul George is still out with a hamstring injury and won’t play in this game.
Cleveland is healthy while the Clippers are without Paul George. However, even without PG, the Clippers have more than enough talent to pull off this victory. The Clippers have been terrific at home this season and I like them to roll to an easy win over the Cavaliers in this contest.
PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
The Cavs are 6-4 ATS in their last 10 games played. Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in their last five games played on the road, and 3-1 ATS in their last four games played against the Western Conference. The Clippers are 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games played. Los Angeles is 1-4 ATS in their last five games played at home, and 5-3 ATS in their last eight games played against the Eastern Conference. Head to head, these teams are an even 5-5 ATS in their last 10 meetings but the Clippers have covered in two out of their last three contests.
The Cavaliers are playing their fourth straight game on the road and their second straight at Staples Center in as many days. Playing the Lakers on Monday night was tough, trying to bounce back from that loss against the Clippers at Staples Center may even be tougher. The Cavs looked weary in the second half after a strong first-half effort. I like the Clippers to win big here as well.
PREDICTION: CLIPPERS -14.5
The total has gone over in seven out of the last 10 games played by the Cavaliers. The over is 10-9 in Cleveland’s last 19 games played on the road. The total has gone over in six out of the last 10 games played by the Clippers. Los Angeles has seen the total go over in four out of their last five games played at home. Head to head, the total has gone under in six out of the last 10 meetings between these two teams.
The Cavs conceded 128 points to the Lakers on Monday night. This is their fourth straight road game and second straight against a Los Angeles team at the Staples Center. Even without George, the Clippers still have plenty of firepower against the 21st ranked defense in the NBA. I like the teams to hit the over with the Clippers having a big offensive game.
PREDICTION: OVER 222.5
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