Cavaliers vs Thunder Pick, Preview & Betting Odds For Friday, January 27th

Check out our free Cavaliers vs Thunder pick and preview for this NBA game in Oklahoma City. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this NBA matchup.

Cavaliers vs Thunder NBA Pick & Preview

Sport: NBA
Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers at Oklahoma City Thunder
Where: Oklahoma City at Paycom Center
Date: Friday, January 27th
Betting Odds OKC -1, CLE -119 | OKC -103 O/U 222.5

So far, the Cavaliers have put together an overall record of 30-20, while going 27-22-1 vs the spread. In the teams past 3 games, their overall mark sits at 2-1. Cleveland is 2-1 vs the spread in these matchups.

In their previous game, the Cavaliers took down the Rockets by a score of 113-95. Not only did they come away with a straight up win, but they also covered the spread as 8 point favorites. Cleveland was able to take care of business in the second half of this game, as they didn’t allow the Rockets to cut into their 26 point halftime lead. In the win, Darius Garland led the team in scoring with 26 points on a field goal percentage of 56.2%.

The Thunder come into today’s matchup with an overall record of 23-25. So far, the team has gone 31-17-0 against the spread. In their previous 3 games, the Thunder are averaging 115 points per game while allowing 118. This has led to a record of 1-2.

Not only did the Thunder drop their last game to the Hawks. But they also picked up an ATS loss, as they fell by a score of 137-132 as 1 point underdogs. Going into halftime, the teams were all tied at 77, before the Cavaliers went on to take control of the game in the 2nd half. In the loss, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the team in scoring with 36 points on a field goal percentage of 59.1%.

Head To Head Recap & Stats

I Last year, the Cavaliers saw a drop in overall scoring when playing the Thunder, averaging 100.5 points per game. Like the Cavaliers, the Thunder scored at a rate below their season average, finishing with 94.5 points per game vs Cleveland. Across the previous 5 head-to-head meetings between the teams, both Cleveland and Oklahoma City have an ATS record of 2-2-1. The Cavaliers hold the edge in average point differential at +6 points per game. A combined average of 210 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 2-3.

Odds & Free Betting Analysis For This NBA Game

This season, the Cleveland offense is ranked 26th in the NBA in scoring at 111.5 points per game. So far, the Cavaliers are averaging 96.1 possessions per game, which places them below the NBA average. A key aspect of the team’s offensive struggles is the fact that they not only play at a slow pace, but they struggle to score inside. Heading into today’s game, Cleveland is just 15th in shots made inside the arc.

On the defensive end of the floor, the Cavaliers are giving up an average of 105.67 points per game, good for 5th in the NBA.

One situation to keep an eye on leading up the game is the availability of Donovan Mitchell, as he is currently questionable on the injury report. If he is able to play, the team will have it’s 1-2 punch availble as Mitchell leads the team in scoring at 28.3 points per game while Garland is 2nd at 21.8. For the season, Mitchell is 13th in the NBA in usage rate and 27th in player efficiency. Behind him, Garland has taken 19.7% of the team’s field goal attempts, connecting at a rate of 44.9%.

Through 48 games, Oklahoma City is the 7th best scoring team at 116.9 points per game. For the season, the Thunder have been playing an up-tempo style of basketball as they sit 3rd in the NBA in possessions per game.. Even though the unit has one of the lower effective field goal percentages in the NBA at 53.3%. Their up-tempo style of play has given them enough opportunites to make up for their poor shooting numbers.

Currently, the Thunder defense is ranked 15th in points allowed. So far, opposing teams are averaging 111.83 points per game vs the unit.

On offense, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the Thunder in scoring at 30.8 points per game, placing him 5th in the NBA. Overall, Gilgeous-Alexander has hit 51.1% of his shots while accounting for 21.7% of the team’s looks from the field. In today’s game, he will be working against a defensive unit that is 11th in points allowed to point-guards. At 16.0 points per game, Josh Giddey is the 2nd leading scorer for the Thunder. For the season, he is 111st in the league in player efficiency rating, while posting a field goal percentage of 48.4%.