THE Cleveland Cavaliers (42-24) makes the 2nd stop of a 3-game road trip against the Houston Rockets (31-35) Saturday at Toyota Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze FanDuel Sports Betting lines around the Cavaliers vs. Rockets odds and make sure our expert NBA picks and predictions.
Season series: Cavaliers lead 1-0; Cleveland won 135-130 in overtime, covering a 4-point gap, while the Over (215) conceded on December 18 in the first meeting.
The Cavaliers welcomed the top scorer G Donovan Mitchell (knee) returned to the lineup Wednesday at New Orleans after a 7-game absence. It made a huge difference, as Cleveland won 116-95, its most points since February 28, which was the last complete game Mitchell played.
The Rockets have won 4 straight games, including a 135-119 victory over the Washington Wizards on Thursday. Houston has covered 7 of the last 8 games, while the Over has a slight 3-2 advantage in the previous 5 outings.
Cleveland has won 3 in a row and 6 of the last 7 in this series. The Cavs are also 3-0 ATS in the winning streak and 6-1 ATS in the last 7 meetings. The Under have a 6-2 advantage in the last 8 battles.
Cavaliers at Rockets odds
Provided by FanDuel Sports Betting; to access USA TODAY Center for Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds for a complete list. Lines were last updated at 9:50 a.m. ET.
- Money Line (ML): Cavaliers -186 (bet $186 to win $100) | Rockets +156 (bet $100 to win $156)
- Against the spread: Cavaliers -4.5 (-112) | Rockets +4.5 (-108)
- More/Less (Y/U): 214.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Key injuries to Rockets Cavaliers
Riders
- g Ty Jerome (ankle) out
- VS Evan Mobley (ankle) out
- F Max Strus (knee) out
Rockets
- VS Alperen Sengun (knee) out
- F Cam Whitmore (knee) out
For the most recent updates: Official NBA Injury Report.
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Cavaliers at Rockets Picks and Predictions
Prediction
Riders 111, Rockets 107
Money line
The Cavaliers (-186) went down -220 overnight, but they’re a little overpriced considering they’re still down 2 starters. Yes, Spida was able to return to NOLA, and the Cavs looked good, but missing Mobley and Strus is still a big deal. Mitchell can’t do everything himself.
However, Sengun’s recent injury is a big problem for the Rockets (+156), as he was really blossoming and becoming a star.
PASS.
Against the spread
THE ROCKETS +4.5 (-108) Still worth watching as underdogs at home.
Houston has covered 7 of the last 8 games, and is 7-0 ATS in the last 7 home games against Eastern Conference opponents.
While the Cavaliers -4.5 (-112) won handily against a good New Orleans team last time out, they are still 5-10 ATS in the last 15 games going back to February 12.
More less
MORE THAN 214.5 (-110) is the skinny, but go for a half-unit set at most.
The Over has conceded 3 of the Cavaliers’ last 4 games, but the total got low in New Orleans to start the road trip, so be careful.
The Over also has a slight 3-2 advantage in the last 5 games for the Rockets, while the Over is 10-7-1 in the last 18 outings at Toyota Center.
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