An accelerating Cleveland Cavaliers (32-16) head to the capital at 7:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday to take on fellow Eastern Conference side the Washington Wizards (9-40).
The Cavs’ six-game winning streak has seen them move to second-place in the standings, and they have lost just one of their past 15 in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Wizards continue to struggle down in 14th and have lost their last three.
The game will take place at Capital One Arena, with the road team listed as 11.5-point favorites according to BetMGM (-110). The Wizards are big underdogs, represented with them being priced at +450 on the moneyline.
Last Time Out
The visitors have been tremendous since the turn of the year, losing just two games in 2024. They crushed the Sacramento Kings 136-110 in their last game on Monday evening, with guard Donovan Mitchell putting up a game-high 29 points to secure a sixth successive triumph. Forward Evan Mobley also proved effective, recording a team-high 14 rebounds.
With just nine wins on the season, the Washington Wizards have been one of the worst teams across the entire league. Only the Detroit Pistons (6-43) have a weaker record. Washington suffered their third straight loss on Sunday, and were bested in a blowout defeat by the Phoenix Suns (140-112).
Injuries
In a testament to Cleveland’s strong depth, they coped excellently with injuries to key players Darius Garland and Mobley earlier on in the season. Both players have since returned, bolstering their roster even further. The only issue they are expecting for tonight’s game is that guard Ty Jerome is out after undergoing ankle surgery.
Even with a clean bill of health, the Wizards have failed to compete throughout the campaign. Forwards Isaiah Livers and Marvin Bagley III have been ruled out for tonight’s contest. However, Kyle Kuzma is likely to return after missing the matchup against the Suns due to a shoulder injury.
Head-to-Head
Looking at recent head-to-head form, prospects have worsened for the hosts. They have lost their last four consecutive matchups with the Cavaliers, and are 0-2 for the series this season. Washington hasn't beaten the Cavs since 2022, with their last home victory over them coming in 2021.
Cleveland recorded two blowout victories over the Wizards at the start of January, winning 140-101 and 114-90. Mitchell starred in both meetings, putting up 22 and 26 points respectively. The five-time All-Star is -120 to score over 26.5 points tonight with BetMGM. The Wizards have scored 100+ points in just one of their last four clashes with the Cavs.
Betting Trends & Stats
With just a 4.5-point spread to cover against the Kings, the Cavaliers easily covered in their last game, winning by 26 points.They are 26-20-2 ATS across all matchups this season, meaning they have the 8th-best record in the league. Not only have Cleveland been winning of late, but they have been doing so in style. They have managed to cover the spread in four of their last six outings, and have the 7th-best point differential in the NBA (5.1).
Not only do Washington struggle to pick up wins, but they haven’t covered the spread very often either. They have covered in just 45.8% of games this season (8th-worst in the league), and have the 3rd-worst point differential too (-9.3). In more recent times, they have covered the spread in just two of their last seven.
Key Players
The Cavaliers’ leading points scorer Mitchell (28.2 points per game) ranks 6th across the NBA for ppg this season, and may even be in with a shout for MVP if he carries on in the same fashion. He is averaging 31.6 ppg over his last five, so enters this one in top, top form.
The star guard also leads the team in average assists (6.4) and steals (1.9). The returns of Garland and Mobley will accentuate the Cavaliers scoring prowess even further, with the pair averaging 19.0 and 15.7 ppg respectively.
Some positive news for the Wizards, though, is that Kuzma is in line to return to the court tonight. He is the team’s leading scorer (21.8 ppg). Guard Jordan Poole will be looking to improve upon his 16.2 ppg. Center Daniel Gafford will be important, too, and he leads the team in average rebounds (7.9) and blocks (2.1).
Best Bet
Cleveland is the hottest team in the NBA at the moment, and it's hard to overlook them now that they have a full strength roster to choose from as well. They have been covering the spread well of late, so a 11.5-point spread shouldn’t be too daunting.
When you consider the fact that Kuzma has been banged up recently, and the fact that Bagley is out, it looks set to be an extremely tough night for the Wizards who have been blown out by weaker opposition of late. Expect the Cavs to cover here.
Cleveland Cavaliers -11.5 (-110 with BetMGM)
