Philadelphia 76ers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Pick & Prediction 12/21/24

At 8:00 ET, the 76ers will be in Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. The Cavs are currently favored by 11, and the over/under line is set at 221.

Philadelphia comes into this game with a record of 9-16, and they are 12th in the Eastern Conference. They have won their last two games. Cleveland is 24-4 and in first place in the East. They have won three straight.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -11

This game will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 8:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:

  • We have this one finishing with a projected score of 130-114 in favor of the Cavaliers.
  • Our projections have Donovan Mitchell finishing with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
  • From the field, we have the Cavaliers finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.5% and knocking down 16 threes.

Do the 76ers Have What it Takes in Cleveland?

Philadelphia improved to 9-16 on the season with a 108-98 win over the Hornets on Friday. The 76ers were favored by 13 points at home but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 206, falling short of the 213.5 O/U line.

Philadelphia jumped out to a 41-23 lead after the 1st quarter and went on a 10-0 run to extend their lead from 55-46 to 65-46. Charlotte fought back, outscoring the 76ers 27-23 in the 4th quarter, but the 76ers held on for the win.

Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 34 points and 9 assists in their win over the Hornets, scoring 12 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters. Tyrese Maxey added 23 points, with 15 coming in the opening period, and Kelly Oubre contributed 22 points, shooting 80% from the field and hitting 4 threes at a 66.7% rate.

Philadelphia shot 49.4% from the field, connecting on 12 threes at a 36.4% clip. Oubre and Maxey each made 4 threes, with Maxey shooting 36.4% from deep.

The 76ers put together a solid defensive performance, holding the Hornets to just 98 points on Friday. Philadelphia allowed 23 points in both the 1st and 2nd quarters, 25 in the 3rd, and 27 in the 4th.

From beyond the arc, the 76ers limited the Hornets to 10 made threes on 32% shooting. Philadelphia also recorded 14 steals and 6 blocks in the win.

Pressure Builds for Cleveland as Home Favorites

The Cavaliers improved to 24-4 this season with a dominant 124-101 win over the Bucks on Friday. Playing at home, Cleveland entered the game as -8.5 point favorites and covered the spread with a +23 point victory. The total points for the game reached 225, just surpassing the 221-point over/under line.

Cleveland set the tone early, leading 29-20 after the 1st quarter and extending their lead with a 40-point 2nd quarter. A 12-0 run stretched the score from 98-76 to 110-76, and while the Bucks outscored the Cavaliers in the 4th quarter, the game was already out of reach.

Donovan Mitchell’s consistent scoring helped the Cavaliers to a win over the Bucks, as he poured in 27 points with 8 in each of the first three quarters. Darius Garland added 16 points, hitting 4 threes at a 66.7% rate, while Evan Mobley and Dean Wade contributed 15 points each.

Cleveland connected on 20 threes, shooting 42.6% from deep and 50.5% overall. Ty Jerome chipped in 13 points, with 7 coming in the 4th quarter.

The Cavaliers’ defense held the Bucks to 101 points on Friday, with Cleveland giving up 20 points in the 1st quarter and 31 in the 2nd. They allowed 25 points in both the 3rd and 4th quarters to secure the win.

Defensively, the Cavaliers limited Milwaukee’s three-point shooting, allowing just 10 made threes on 37% shooting. They also sent the Bucks to the free-throw line 18 times, where Milwaukee made 11. Cleveland finished with 11 steals but didn’t record a block.