Portland Trail Blazers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Pick & Prediction 3/2/25
At 3:30 ET, the Portland Trail Blazers (27-33) will travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers (49-10). The Cavs are currently favored by 11.5 points and have won nine straight games. The over/under line is set at 234.
This non-conference matchup can be seen on NBA TV. The Blazers (+448) are 12th in the West, while Cleveland (-601) is first in the Eastern Conference.
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS VS CLEVELAND CAVALIERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Portland Trail Blazers +11.5
This game will be played at Rocket Arena at 3:30 ET on Sunday, March 2nd.
WHY BET THE PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 118-115 in favor of the Cavaliers.
- Our projections have Darius Garland finishing with 20 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists.
- From the field, we have the Cavaliers finishing with a field goal percentage of 48.3% and knocking down 15 threes.
Can the Trail Blazers Grab a Win in Cleveland?
The Trail Blazers improved to 27-33 on the season with a 121-102 road win over the Nets on Friday. Portland, favored by 1.5 points, covered the spread with the 19-point victory. The total score of 223 points went just over the 220.5-point line.
Portland took control early, leading 64-47 at halftime after winning the 1st and 2nd quarters. The Nets fought back in the 3rd, outscoring the Blazers 35-27, but Portland responded by holding Brooklyn to 20 points in the 4th while scoring 30 to seal the win.
In their win over the Nets, the Trail Blazers shot 57.7% from the field and made 15 threes at a 41.7% clip. Shaedon Sharpe led the way with 25 points, hitting 4 threes at 66.7%, while Dalano Banton added 23 points, shooting 75% from deep.
Sharpe scored 14 points in the 1st quarter, and Banton added 16 in the 4th. Toumani Camara contributed 19 points, with 10 coming in the opening period.
The Trail Blazers put together a strong defensive performance, holding the Nets to 102 points in their win. Portland gave up 25 points in the 1st quarter and 35 in the 3rd, but they tightened up in the 2nd and 4th, allowing just 22 and 20 points, respectively.
Portland limited Brooklyn to 41% shooting from the field, including just 7 made threes on 24% shooting. The Trail Blazers also recorded 11 steals and 4 blocks in the game.
Can the Cavaliers Offense Score Enough at Home?
The Cavaliers improved to 49-10 this season with a 123-116 win over the Celtics on Friday. Cleveland, who entered the game as +1 point underdogs, not only won but covered the spread. The game’s total points of 239 exceeded the over/under line of 233.5 by 5.5 points.
Boston started strong with a 14-0 run, but Cleveland responded by outscoring them 38-36 in the 2nd quarter. The Cavs took control in the 3rd, winning the quarter 31-24, and then clamped down defensively in the 4th, holding the Celtics to 18 points while scoring 28 to seal the win.
Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers to a 123-116 win over the Celtics, scoring 41 points and hitting 5 threes at 41.7%. He was particularly effective in the 3rd and 4th quarters, scoring 14 points in the 3rd and adding 12 more in the final period. Evan Mobley also stepped up late, scoring 11 of his 17 points in the 4th quarter.
The Cavs hit 17 threes as a team, shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc and 47.9% overall. Darius Garland contributed 20 points, though he shot just 39.1% from the field and 28.6% from three.
Despite a rough start, the Cavaliers tightened up defensively in the 2nd half, allowing just 42 points in the 3rd and 4th quarters to help secure a win over the Celtics. Cleveland gave up 38 points in the 1st quarter and 36 in the 2nd, but they held Boston to 24 points in the 3rd and just 18 in the 4th.
The Cavaliers sent the Celtics to the free-throw line 17 times, where they made 13 shots. Cleveland also allowed 17 three-pointers on 43% shooting. The Cavaliers recorded 30 defensive rebounds while giving up 14 offensive boards, and they finished with 4 steals and 3 blocks.