by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Jan 17, 2022
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Where to watch: BSOH, YES
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Cavaliers -2.5
BetMGM: Cavaliers -3.5
Caesars: Cavaliers -2.5
Season record
Nets: 27-15 (2nd place, Eastern Conference)
Cavaliers: 26-18 (6th place, Eastern Conference)
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Nets - Cavaliers preview, analysis and prediction
The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t getting many marquee opportunities to show just how improved they are, but they’ll get a chance to show that on Monday against the shorthanded Brooklyn Nets.
After going 3-6 from Dec. 22 to Jan. 9, the Cavs have reeled off four straight wins in another instance of the ups and downs of being a young team. The Cavs, however, are returning home after a six-game road trip to play four of their next five at home.
Cleveland secured some notable road wins at the Utah Jazz, San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers during that time. The Cavs got a push as 5-point favorites on Saturday against the Oklahoma City Thunder to end the trip.
Darius Garland may have had his best game as an NBA player, with the second-year pro going for 27 points and 18 assists, while likely Rookie of the Year Evan Mobley had 20 points and five rebounds for the Cavs, the No. 6 team in the Eastern Conference at this juncture.
"He took command of the game in all aspects," Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Garland. "Reading what the defense was doing, how to make them pay for when they were making those mistakes or whatever the reason may have been. But you saw a will in him to not allow us to lose this game."
It’s beyond weird to see the Cavaliers be a good team without LeBron James in the fold, and the Cavs are very much likely going to finish as a playoff team without LeBron for the first time since many administrations ago. But the Cavs have also been a godsend on the books and have been reliable in that aspect.
As a favorite, the Cavs are 11-5 against the spread and 14-3 straight up this season. The young Cleveland team has also been terrific on the defensive end; they’re 17-7 against the spread after allowing 105 points or less the previous game (16-9 outright) and are 20-6 after successfully covering the spread the previous game.
When’s the last time you honestly went to the book feeling that confident on selecting the Cavaliers? Since LeBron, right?
They may not reach national television until the playoffs, but if you get a chance to watch them, do so. The Cavs will take on the Nets who will be without Kevin Durant due to a sprained knee. Kyrie Irving, however, is likely to play in his former stomping grounds due to Brooklyn being on the road and his vaccination status allowing him such luxuries.
Brooklyn has alternated wins and losses over the last eight games and are coming off a 120-105 win at home against the New Orleans Pelicans, two days after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder. James Harden will be the focal point of the offense once again, and he’s coming off a 27-point, 15-assist outing after Durant left the game.
"Tonight what happened to KD and then Ky (Kyrie Irving) being able to play road games only and Joe (Harris), Nic (Claxton), LaMarcus (Aldridge), but we've been a resilient group all year, since I've been here," Harden when asked if the Nets were snake bitten. "And we just got to keep going, keep pushing, keep pushing."
It hasn’t happened a lot but the Nets have been fairly successful being an underdog, going 4-1 this season against the spread and 43-28 ATS over the past three seasons. Consistency, however, has not been a strong point. The Nets are just 1-9 ATS this season following a win of 10 points or more and 4-6 straight up; while after a game they covered, the Nets are just 3-12 ATS.
Even if the Nets aren’t at full strength, it’s enough of a game to have the Cavs ready to play one of their best efforts of the season. At home on a prominent day on the NBA’s calendar is good enough for Cleveland to finish this off. Cavs by 9
Betting trends
The Nets are 4-0 ATS in their last four as an underdog.
The over is 5-1 in the Nets' last six road games.
The Nets are 0-7 ATS in their last seven when their opponent allows 100 or more the previous game.
The over is 5-0 in the Cavaliers' last five against a team with a winning record.
The Cavaliers is 2-12 ATS in their last 14 home games after a road trip that lasted seven days or more.
Projected starting lineup
Nets:
PG: James Harden
SG: Kyrie Irving
SF: DeAndre' Bembry
PF: Kessler Edwards
C: Blake Griffin
SF: DeAndre' Bembry
PF: Kessler Edwards
C: Blake Griffin
Cavaliers:
PG: Darius Garland
SG: Isaac Okoro
SF: Lauri Markkanen
PF: Evan Mobley
C: Jarrett Allen
SF: Lauri Markkanen
PF: Evan Mobley
C: Jarrett Allen
Key injuries
Nets: Kevin Durant (knee, out), LaMarcus Aldridge (foot, probable), Nic Claxton (hamstring, questionable), Joe Harris (ankle, out)
Cavaliers: Rajon Rondo (hamstring, out), Collin Sexton (knee, out), Ricky Rubio (ACL, out)
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
