The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET on Friday at the Staples Center. Cleveland has already won one game there this week, when the Cavs beat the Clippers on Wednesday, 92-79. Meanwhile, the Lakers are looking for answers after an embarrassing collapse and loss against the previously winless Thunder in Oklahoma City.
Los Angeles is favored by eight points in the latest Lakers vs. Cavaliers odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over-under is set at 221.5. Before entering any Cavaliers vs. Lakers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned almost $9,000 in profit on its top-rated NBA picks over the past three-plus seasons. The model finished up almost $600 on its top-rated picks last season and enters Week 2 of the 2021-22 NBA season on a stunning 103-68 roll on top-rated NBA picks against the spread. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Lakers vs. Cavaliers. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Lakers vs. Cavaliers:
- Lakers vs. Cavaliers spread: Lakers -8
- Lakers vs. Cavaliers over-under: 221.5 points
Featured Game | Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers
What you need to know about the Lakers
Los Angeles was up 41-19 by the end of the first quarter against the Thunder, but sloppy play down the stretch resulted in the game slipping away. Anthony Davis had been questionable to play ahead of the game, but managed to finish with 30 points in addition to eight rebounds. In addition to their own miscues, the Lakers allowed the Thunder to hit 40 percent of their 3-point attempts during their comeback.
Opponents’ 3-point shooting is starting to become a problem for the Lakers in general, and they have allowed the fifth-highest 3-point percentage in the NBA over their last three games. Los Angeles has had success against Cleveland on its home floor, covering the spread in four of its last five home games against the Cavaliers.
What you need to know about the Cavaliers
Cleveland had little trouble with the Clippers on Wednesday. Point guard Collin Sexton filled up the stat sheet, and picked up 26 points with seven boards. Fellow guard Darius Garland also had a nice night, finishing with 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. Ricky Rubio had a strong showing off the bench for Cleveland, and he finished with 15 points in just under 28 minutes on the floor.
The Cavaliers have done well to limit the offensive production from their opponents so far in 2021. Through five games, they average the seventh-fewest points allowed per game, with 103.2. Some of that has to do with their effort under the boards, as Cleveland has averaged the fifth-most total rebounds per game over its last three contests (60). The Cavs have also had great perimeter defense to start the year, with opponents shooting just 30 percent from beyond the arc.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Lakers picks
The model has simulated Lakers vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
Who wins Lakers vs. Cavaliers? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its NBA picks.
