NBA Regular Season 2023/24, Thursday, 11/14/2024, 1:30 a.m.
What do the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cleveland Cavaliers have in common? They are both undefeated in their respective sports since the start of the new season! Especially the “Cavs” did not expect such a rocket start in this form.
But all good things, even the offer of the first-class Oddset freebet, come to an end sooner or later!
And according to my 76ers Cavaliers tip, there are good reasons to believe that the winning streak could be broken at the Wells Fargo Center.
Philadelphia really has a real chance of breaking Cleveland’s impressive winning streak this time – not least because of the home advantage.
The Sixers have a strong record against Cleveland at home, having won ten of the past twelve NBA home games against the Cavaliers.
And even in the two defeats, Cleveland needed overtime to win each game.
So, considering their home-court dominance and the lopsided nature of their series, there’s a good chance that Philadelphia will be able to make a statement again with a strong performance.
The Sixers got off to a flying start! The signing of Paul George could prove to be a real game-changer for Philly in the long run.
Leaving his hometown of Los Angeles to sign a four-year contract with the Sixers shows just how ambitious the team is this season.
This makes him a welcome reinforcement alongside Tyrese Maxey, who also recently signed a new five-year contract after previously turning down an extension.
The duo reminds me of Garland and Ricky Rubio from 2021, when Cleveland also performed at a top level.
The numbers speak for themselves: with an offensive rating of 128.7 points per 100 possessions (in the 99th percentile), the Cavs prove that they can be an absolute menace.
Garland’s mobility and Jerome’s creativity repeatedly create openings that the team knows how to exploit. You can see that when the two of them are on the court, it’s going to be tricky for any opponent.
This duo could be difficult for Philadelphia to stop, but in my opinion, home advantage and experience should ultimately ensure a surprisingly close game.
One of the Cavs’ weaknesses is undoubtedly the third quarter, in which they regularly fall behind.
If you look at the statistics, you can see that the Cavs often start strongly, but the third quarter remains a weak point.
Coach Atkinson is open about it: “Big teams dominate the third quarter”; but here the Cavs are only ranked 19th in the league, trailing by 1.3 points per 100 possessions in the third quarter.
The recent performances against the Warriors and the Nets were symptomatic of this – Cleveland lost its rhythm after half-time and was clearly beaten in both periods after the break.
In this respect, Philly could have a decisive advantage if the team manages to put pressure on Cleveland after the break.
Conclusion: Cleveland has the bite, and even if there are still weaknesses in the third quarter, the team has already proven that it can go far this year.
The past wins, including the impressive one against the Warriors, prove that the Cavs are definitely able to win even under difficult conditions.
Nevertheless, the weaknesses in the Cavs’ game, especially in the second half, offer Philly a realistic chance to end Cleveland’s winning streak – and who knows, maybe they can lay the foundation for a streak of their own.
But since the Cavaliers had an extra day to prepare for this game and the Sixers just lost 99-111 to the Knicks yesterday, I’d better build a handicap into my 76ers Cavaliers tip as a precaution.
What is it? PHI wins with HC +9.5.
