Cleveland Cavaliers vs Denver Nuggets Betting Pick & Prediction 12/27/24

At 9:00 ET, the Cleveland Cavaliers (-135) will take on the Denver Nuggets (+114) in a non-conference matchup. The Cavaliers are currently favored by 2.5 points and have won five straight games. The Nuggets are 5th in the Western Conference with a record of 16-12, while the Cavaliers are 1st in the East at 26-4.

This game will be played at Ball Arena in Denver and can be seen on ALT.

CLEVELAND CAVALIERS VS DENVER NUGGETS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -2.5

This game will be played at Ball Arena at 9:00 ET on Friday, December 27th.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS:

• We have this one finishing with a projected score of 129-110 in favor of the Cavaliers.
• Our projections have Donovan Mitchell finishing with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
• From the field, we have the Cavaliers finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.0% and knocking down 16 threes.

Can the Cavaliers Offense Score Enough in Denver?

The Cavaliers improved to 26-4 on the season with a 124-113 win over the Jazz on Monday. Playing at home, Cleveland was favored by 14 points but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 237.5 went over the line of 232.5 by 4.5 points.

Cleveland led 29-27 after the 1st quarter and 60-56 at halftime. A strong 3rd quarter, where they outscored Utah 39-32, gave them a 99-88 lead going into the 4th, where both teams scored 25 points.

The Cavaliers hit 20 threes at a 43.5% clip in their win over the Jazz, finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.3%. Darius Garland led the way with 23 points and 8 assists, while Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley each contributed 22 points, with Mobley adding 10 rebounds.

Garland scored 9 of his 23 points in the 2nd quarter, while Mitchell and Mobley each added 6 points in the 4th. Sam Merrill was a key contributor in the 3rd, scoring 14 of his 20 points in the quarter.

Defensively, the Cavaliers gave up 113 points to the Jazz but held them to 41% shooting from the field. Cleveland allowed 27 points in the 1st quarter, 29 in the 2nd, and 32 in the 3rd before tightening up in the 4th, where they gave up just 25 points.

The Cavaliers struggled to defend the three, with the Jazz hitting 19 threes at a 43% clip. Cleveland sent Utah to the line 26 times, where they made 18 free throws. The Cavaliers recorded 10 steals and 3 blocks in the game.

Can the Nuggets Lock in a Home Win?

The Nuggets fell to 16-12 this season after a 110-100 road loss to the Suns on Wednesday. Denver, favored by 2.5 points, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 210 fell well short of the 231.5-point O/U line.

Denver trailed 38-34 after the 1st quarter but edged the Suns 22-20 in the 2nd. However, Phoenix pulled ahead by outscoring the Nuggets 27-22 in the 3rd, and Denver couldn’t close the gap in the 4th, where they were outscored 25-22.

Nikola Jokić led the Nuggets with 25 points and 15 rebounds in their 110-100 loss to the Suns, scoring 15 of his points in the first quarter. Michael Porter Jr. added 22 points, while Russell Westbrook contributed 17.

Denver struggled from beyond the arc, hitting just 8 threes at 27.6%, and finished with a 46.2% overall shooting percentage. Porter connected on 3 threes at 37.5%, while Jokić made 2, shooting 28.6% from deep.

The Nuggets struggled defensively in the 1st quarter, giving up 38 points, but they tightened up in the 2nd, allowing just 20. They allowed 27 points in the 3rd and 25 in the 4th, ultimately giving up 110 points in the loss to the Suns.

Denver held Phoenix to 30% shooting from three, with the Suns making 11 threes. The Suns also went 17/20 from the free-throw line. The Nuggets finished with 32 defensive rebounds, allowing 12 offensive boards, and recorded 3 steals and 2 blocks.