NBA Free Pick: Cleveland vs Washington
Scott Morris | February 22, 2018
Tonight at 8:00 pm EST on TNT network the Washington Wizards are in Cleveland to face the Cavaliers. The spread currently has Cleveland favored by 5 points and the total is 221 points. Currently 65% of the betting public is on Cleveland.
This is the back stretch of the NBA season and there are less than twenty games left. These two teams are firmly in the middle of the playoff picture. If the playoffs started today, Cleveland would be the 3 seed and Washington would be the 4th.
Cleveland comes into the game with a 34-22 record straight up. They are really bad against the spread this year because they haven’t played as well as expected. Their ATS record is 18-37-1. They are coming off four straight wins and like every team in the league are well rested because of the All Star break. Cleveland scores 110 PPG and allows 109 PPG.
Washington is 33-24 straight up. They are 27-30 ATS. They score 107 PPG and allow 105. The Wizards are coming off two straight wins before the break.
Head to Head
Cleveland owns the advantage head to head in their last 10 matchups. Cleveland is 7-3 in that time and an even 5-5 ATS. They played each other back in December and Cleveland won at Washington 106-99. Kevin Love was the leading scorer with 25 pts and Lebron James had 20. Bradley Beal lead the Wizards with 27 points and Mike Scott chipped in 19 off the bench. The leading scorer for the Cavs in that game will be out tonight however. Kevin Love is on the injured list due to a hand injury. John Wall is out for Washington.
This is a different Cavs team than it was in December. You may remember that Cleveland acquired George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., and Rodney Hood, all before the deadline. This team has been playing much better as a whole.
Trends and Stats
CLE
Cleveland is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Cleveland’s last 5 games
Cleveland is 18-3 SU in its last 21 games at home
WAS
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games
Washington is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Cleveland
The smart money here is on the Cavs -5. The Cavs at home with a rested team playing to a re-energized crowd should pull off the win and cover. Check out live odds to see the line movement between now and game time. Looking for a sportsbook? Check out the best of the best sportsbooks online.
