NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers VS Oklahoma City Thunder Pick and Predictions 01/27/2023

Game: 8:10 PM ET,  Friday, January 27th, 2023

Venue: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, Thunder

TV:  NBA League Pass

Cavaliers: 29-20, 5th place Eastern Conference

Thunder: 23-25, 11th place Western Conference

BetMGM:  Point Spread:  Thunder -1.5, O/U 222.5

PointsBet: Point Spread: Thunder -1, O/U 222.5

Fanduel: Point Spread:  Thunder -1, O/U 222

Cavaliers: PF Evan Mobley, SF Isaac Okoro, C Jarett Allen, PG Darius Garland, SG Donovan Mitchell

Thunder: SF Luguentz Dort, PF Jalen Williams, C Kenrich Williams, SG Shai Gilgeous Alexander, PG Josh Giddey

A master class in backcourt play in the form of an NBA Inter Conference battle.  The war starts at point guard and ends at shooting guard. Sure, it is nice for the power forwards and centers to play here and there, but man oh man!… These are backcourts that will dominate the next 5 seasons.  The Cleveland Cavaliers have the duo of PG Darius Garland JR and Donovan Mitchell… amazing!  The Thunder have the duo of Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Josh Giddey. These are all top flight NBA guards… They are young… They are stars or on the cusp of stardom… and they will soon rule the league.  Winning… That is the hard part.  Winning involves those forwards and centers we just yawned at… However in this matchup we will find the great betting opportunity where we find the best backcourt play!

The Cleveland Cavaliers have only won 4 of their last 10 games.  They lost their last game to the New York Knicks 105-103 which was also a loss ATS.  In the loss they got 24 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists from SG Donovan Mitchell, 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 assist and 1 block from C Jarrett Allen… Those two are rocks… They also got 22 points form Darius Garland JR (last season’s star).  The bad game came from SF Isaac Okoro who had 9 points in 30 minutes… the guy also had 6 rebounds and 5 assists in what reads like a Draymond Green statline.. But the defense is definitely not Draymond Green level.  The trade deadline is coming and PF/C Kevin Love carries an enormous expiring contract… psst Warriors, Raptors… etc.

The OKC Thunder have won 7 of their last 10 games in what is their best ten game stretch of the season.  They lost their last game, but who cares?!!!  They have won 7 of their last 10 games!  They are carefully trying to develop the young guys without entirely killing their stake in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. Expect the Thunder to sell at the deadline… expect Lue Dort and any number of picks and bench players for the right deal.  The Thunder are the team most susceptible to not caring about winning the draft while still trying to get a good position… BECAUSE they have Rookie 7’3 Center Chet Holmgren waiting on the injury list. They could easily miss out on VICTOR and still land a great player with the 4th or 5th pick… pr they could trade for whoever they wanted since they have 2-3 1st round picks in every draft over the next 4 seasons?! 

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CLE: 29-20, 24-22-3 ATS, 23-26 O/U, 9-15 in road games.

OKC: 23-25, 30-17-1 ATS, 28-20 O/U, 14-10 in home games.

The Cavaliers are 26th in scoring with 111.5 points per game, 23rd in rebounds with 42.4 per game, 22nd in AST/TO with 1.7, and 24th in blocks per game with 4.2.

The Thunder are 7th in scoring with 116.9 per game, 12th in rebounds with 44.1 per game, 10th in AST/TO ratio with 1.8, and 9th in blocks with 5.1 per game.

Our prediction for Friday, January 27th is…. Thunder 121 - Cavs 118

Bet on the Thunder.  Do not care who wins.. The Thunder will cover the spread because they are scrappy and rising.  They are facing some of the best guards in the game while knowing they have the best young guard tandem in the league.  Also the Thunder have been the best ATS bet since the New Year!

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The Cavaliers are 5-7 ATS as a road favorite of 6 points or less this season.

The Thunder are 26-11 ATS as an underdog this season.

The Thunder are 12-2 in January Games this season.

Cavaliers: SG Donovan Mitchell.  Donovan is capable of scoring big at any moment.  He can lift his team just on pure scoring.  Still, winning isn;t one guy scoring or Luka Dincic would be on his 3rd title by now.  Donovan MUST get everyone involved no matter what shooting night he is having… and that is why the Cavs are 5th with Donovan and not 1st with Donovan, Allen, Mobley, and Garland.

Thunder: SG/PG Shai Gilgeous Alexander… Had the Clippers not done the Paul George trade?... They would be better off. PG-13 is great, but Shai is unique.  Shai can do it all and he showed signs of doing it all when he was with the Clippers.  Watch him become better than Paul George ever was and remember that Shai went to the Thunder for Paul George WITH multiple players and a TON of 1st round draft picks and draft pick swaps!!!!

Cavaliers: JB Bickerstaff

Thunder: Mark Daigneault