The Cleveland Cavaliers (12-32) look to snap their five-game losing streak when they square off against the Washington Wizards (14-29) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The game gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 23, 2020.
Cleveland opened as a 1-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 232 points at PointsBet.
Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers ATS Prediction
In the Wizards’ last game, they were 1-point favorites and lost to the Miami Heat, 134-129. The game’s combined points (263) finished well over the O/U total of 232.5. Miami made good use of their 36 trips to the free throw line, making 31 of them (86.1 percent). Washington, meanwhile, was 16-20 (80.0 percent). Bradley Beal was the top scorer from either team with 38 points on 16-for-24 shooting.
The Cavaliers got blown out by the New York Knicks in their last outing, 106-86. They failed to cover as 1.5-point underdogs. The game’s total points (192) came in well under the O/U total of 222.5. Making free throws was one of New York’s biggest advantages. They were 15-17 (88.2 percent), while the Cavaliers were just 11-17 (64.7 percent). With 13 points and 22 rebounds, Cleveland’s Tristan Thompson had a solid game.
This is the second game of the season between these two squads. In the first, Thompson recorded 21 points and 12 rebounds and the Cavaliers beat the Wizards 113-100, covering as 5-point underdogs. The game finished with a total of 213 points, which was 20 points below the projected point total of 233 points. The Cavaliers knocked down 25 of their 29 free throws (86.2 percent) and had a better turnover percentage (10.5 vs. 15.4).
Washington heads into the contest with records of 14-29 straight up (SU) and 21-21 against the spread (ATS). Of the Wizards’ 42 games that accepted bets, 23 have finished over the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Cleveland owns records of 12-32 SU and 19-23-2 ATS. Cavaliers games have a slight tendency to finish over the total (52.3 percent).
It could be an error-filled game for the Cleveland offense. Cleveland ranks 30th in the NBA in ball protection (turnover percentage of 15.5 percent), while the gambling defense of Washington forces the eighth-most turnovers in the league (14.4 percent).
Washington Wizards vs. Cleveland Cavaliers ATS Pick
NBA Pick: ATS Winner – Cavaliers, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
On the road, Washington is 11-11 ATS with 13 overs and 9 unders.
At home, Cleveland is 8-12-1 ATS with 11 unders and 10 overs.
Washington is 3-0 when they hold opponents below 100 points, while Cleveland is 4-3.
In games where they score more than 100 points, the Cavaliers are 11-20 and the Wizards are 12-28.
Washington averages 18.2 points off turnovers per game, which ranks sixth in the league. Cleveland ranks last in points off turnovers allowed per game (20.1).
The Wizards average 25.6 assists per game, which ranks eighth in the league. The Cavaliers rank 29th in assists allowed per game (25.8).
Cleveland ranks 11th in second chance points per game (13.5) while Washington ranks 27th in second chance points allowed per game (14.4).
The Wizards rank 11th in steals allowed per game (7.4) while the Cavaliers rank 26th (8.9).
Washington ranks 11th in fast break points allowed per game (12.6) while Cleveland ranks 25th (15.4).
The Wizards rank 17th in points in the paint per game (47.3) while the Cavaliers rank last in points allowed in the paint per game (54.1).
Washington ranks 19th in blocks allowed per game (5.4) while Cleveland ranks last (6.6).
The Cavaliers rank 20th in rebounds per game (44.3) while the Wizards rank 29th (42.4).
In its last five outings, Washington is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
Cleveland is 2-3 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders over its last five games.
The Wizards’ average margin of defeat in their last five games has been 9.6, up from 5.4 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 102.6 points per game (2.2 below their season average) and allowed an average of 118.6 points per game (4.7 above their season average).
