The Cavaliers are riding their second 15-game winning streak, and our expert NBA predictions expect that winning streak to continue tonight at Memphis.
The Memphis Grizzlies are the next team up to try and derail the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cleveland visits Memphis seeking a franchise-best 16th straight win, and they’ve been tabbed as slight 2-point favorites in the NBA odds when this tips off at 8pm from FedEx Forum.
Our Cavaliers vs. Grizzlies prediction and NBA picks will stay with the surging Cavaliers, even with the home team having won four straight.
Despite missing all-star Donovan Mitchell, newly acquired De’Andre Hunter, and key reserve Ty Jerome, the Cleveland Cavaliers still overcame an 18-point deficit to top the Nets 109-104.
Cleveland has not taken an L since a 112-105 loss to the Boston Celtics on February 4, and now own a pair of 15-game win streaks in the same season.
The Cavs continue to operate an elite offense, averaging 124 points over this streak, the second-best output in the NBA behind only OKC. They are shooting 48% from the field and 37.9% from 3-point range.
Defensively, they’re inside the Top 7 in scoring, allowing just 110.1 points per contest.
But they’ll have to do it again without Mitchell, who’s out with a groin injury. Hunter (illness) is considered probable.
The Memphis Grizzlies is no slouch, and has plenty to play for Friday night, as they hold the second seed in the West, but with an identical record to Denver, and the Lakers and Rockets just a game behind.
The Grizz are coming off a 122-115 win over the Utah Jazz, giving them four straight wins and opening their 4-game homestand with back-to-back wins.
While wins are wins, Memphis has played down to the competition, with their last three victories in single digits to teams outside the conference’s Top 10 in New Orleans, Phoenix, and Utah.
They nearly blew a 19-point lead to the Jazz.
Taking the Cavaliers as a cover team hasn’t been a great bet of late. Even as they’ve piled up the wins, they are just 8-6-1 against the spread.
The same goes in this current head-to-head with the Grizz: Cleveland has won four straight decisions but is just 1-2-1 ATS.
At 24-10, Memphis owns the second-best home record in the Western Conference and third-best overall. They’ve gone 3-2 at home vs the Cavaliers in the last five.
But none of those games have come in this Cavaliers’ dream season. They happen to own the NBA’s best road record at 25-6.
Until someone does stop the streak, I’ll roll with the hotter hand in this matchup.