On Sunday, 3/30, the Cleveland Cavaliers (59-15) will host the Los Angeles Clippers (42-31) in an inter-conference Regular-Season match-up. The Cavaliers have been at the top of the East throughout the season, while the Clippers have once again risen to the sixth position in the West. Will the cruising Clippers overcome the mighty but lately vulnerable Cavs? Read through the preview, total predictions, and player props here.
Cavaliers: Contenders or pretenders?
The Cleveland Cavaliers will come into this game after a disappointing 11-point loss against the Detroit Pistons, despite a 38-point outburst by Donovan Mitchell. The squad allowed the Pistons to score 30+ in each quarter, indicating their recent defensive woes. The Cleveland Cavaliers have followed their 16-game winning streak with a poor 3-5 window, as their defense has collapsed completely.
Are they exhausted after putting on a show throughout the season? The team has the perfect PG-C complimentary pieces but needs more from their bench at this point. They are most probably going to finish on the top of East, but many doubt their ability to put on a title-winning run. Will the Cavs get their act together with the postseason a few weeks away? They do have the tools and the experience to do it.
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: Darius Garland | SG: Donovan Mitchell | SF: Max Strus | PF: Evan Mobley | C: Jarrett Allen
Key Injuries/Updates: Max Strus’ status is UNCLEAR
Clippers: Peaking at the right time
The Los Angeles Clippers will march into this game after an emphatic 32-point win against the Brooklyn Nets as Kawhi Leonard stacked up 31 points. It was their second straight win and 10th victory in 12 games. Half of these wins have been against playoff-bound squads, indicating they can be a force with the postseason with a few days away. James Harden has played his best ball in the second half of the season, while Leonard’s availability has been a huge boost on both ends.
Ivica Zubac’s contributions in the middle can’t be emphasized enough, while Norman Powell is one of the most reliable scorers in the league. The Clippers’ defense has been terrific. They have conceded just 107.6 PPG(3rd) in March thus far, which is on-par with their effort throughout the season. Meanwhile, they have shot judiciously from deep, making 41.7% of their threes(1st).
Expected Starting Lineup
PG: James Harden | SG: Kris Dunn | SF: Norman Powell | SF/PF: Kawhi Leonard | C: Ivica Zubac
Key Injuries/Updates: No major news thus far.
The Cavaliers have a penchant for crossing the 120 mark, but lately, they are not hitting the 125 mark as much. Meanwhile, the Clippers have hovered around the 120 mark more often this month. Defensively, LA has been much better than the Cavaliers, containing teams around 100 quite a bit. In this case, I don’t see them restricting the Cavs around that mark. Overall, I see the total going in the early 230s but not more than the mid-230s.
Donovan Mitchell to score over 26.5 points: The Cavs off-guard has tallied 22.4 PPG in March, his lowest output all season(shooting a terrible 21.3% from deep). However, I expect him to follow a 38-point effort with a 26+ night.
Evan Mobley to grab over 10.5 rebounds: The Cavaliers’s big forward has accumulated 9.6 rebounds per game in March, around his season average. I believe he will clean up 11-13 boards here.
Kawhi Leonard to notch over 2.5 steals: The Klaw has snatched 1.8 steals per game in March, notching 2 or more in six instances. I expect him to be in the 3-4 steals range here.
Ivica Zubac to pull down over 12.5 rebounds: The Clippers center has cleaned up 11.9 boards per game in March. I believe he will pull up around 13-15 rebounds.
The Cavs are not playing their best basketball lately but they have the system to bounce back as they have done throughout the season. Meanwhile, the Clippers have found the pep in their step on both ends. I believe it can be a grinding battle between two squads as the desperate Cleveland will look to bury their woes. I expect the home team to carve out a 5-8-point win. The bookmakers are projecting a 7-10 range win here though.
Safe Spread Pick: Cavaliers -7.5 for -115 at BetMGM
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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