The San Antonio Spurs head into Friday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers riding a surprising wave of success against difficult odds. They’ll face a tough home team in the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena in this matchup. With both teams dealing with injuries, this game will be a great test of the resilience of both of these teams. Before this contest tips off from Northeast Ohio, continue reading to get my Spurs vs Cavaliers prediction.
Our Spurs vs Cavaliers Pick
- Pick: Cavaliers -4.5
- Confidence: 3/5
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: San Antonio Spurs @ Cleveland Cavaliers
- Date & Time: Friday, December 5, 2025, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: Rocket Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
- Broadcast: NBA League Pass
| Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|
| CLE –4.5 | SAS +145 | CLE –175 | 238.5 |
Key Storylines
- The Spurs (15–6) are off to one of their best starts in years, powered by a surprisingly efficient offense at 119.0 PPG and nearly 49% overall. Their road record of 6–4 shows they’re handling travel decently. However, they remain without Victor Wembanyama (calf), and starters Stephon Castle and Jordan McLaughlin are sidelined, thinning out their rotation and defensive presence in the paint.
- Cleveland (13–10) is navigating key absences as well. Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland, Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Larry Nance Jr. are all out. That reduces their size and shooting ability. Still, major contributors like Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley remain on the floor, giving Cleveland a solid backbone on both ends of the floor.
- San Antonio is currently in the middle of a brutal nine-city, 18‑day road trip. Fatigue and limited frontcourt depth could catch up to them here. Meanwhile, the Cavs, will hope that home-court advantage is enough to help them offset all of the absences that they are dealing with.
Head-to-Head & Betting Trends
- Last season, Cleveland defeated San Antonio in their most recent meeting by a score of 124–116 at home. That game featured a 29-point, 16-rebound effort by Jarrett Allen and a near triple-double from Donovan Mitchell.
- This is the first meeting of the season between the Cavs and Spurs.
- The Cavs are 7-16 against the spread so far this season.
- San Antonio is 11-8-2 against the spread going into this matchup.
- San Antonio’s games have gone over the total 11 times in 21 outings.
- The Cavs have stayed under the total in 13 of their first 23 games.
Best Player Props to Watch
| Player | Prop |
|---|---|
| Donovan Mitchell | Over 30.5 Points |
| Evan Mobley | Over 9.5 Rebounds |
Spurs vs Cavaliers Model Projection
Score Projection: Spurs 113 – Cavaliers 118
Win Probability: Spurs 38% – Cavaliers 62%
Final Thoughts
Cleveland should be able to take care of business at home in this matchup against the Spurs. Both teams are incredibly banged up, but the Cavs have enough stars on the floor to be trustworthy in this matchup from Rocket Arena. I’ll lay the points with Cleveland, as the absence of Wembanyama for the Spurs will hurt them more than any of Cleveland’s absences will hurt the Cavs.
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