NBA Regular Season 2023/24, Tuesday, March 12, 2024
Tuesday night sees a clash between the surprising third-placed team from the East and the prominent sixth-placed team from the West. So there should be plenty of excitement in Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse!
Not unsurprisingly, the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently in third place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41-23.
However, they have weakened here and there recently and only have a record of 6-7 in the last thirteen games.
However, this includes victories against the top teams from Boston (+1) and Minnesota (+9 after overtime).
The absence of superstar Donovan Mitchell (missed the last six games with a knee injury), big man Evan Mobley (three games with an ankle injury) and Max Strus (four games, ankle injury) due to injury is likely the main reason for the current inconsistency.
While Mitchell and Mobley are also expected to miss the game against the Suns, at least Strus could make his comeback.
At home in Cleveland and against teams from the Western Conference, they know how to convince. The hosts have a 22-12 record in front of their home crowd and a 14-6 record against Western teams.
Although the team from Ohio only has a slightly below-average offense (16th place with a rating of 115.2), the chestnuts are elite defensively.
With a rating of 110.8, the Cavs have the third-best defense in the association! In the last six games, the Cavaliers have conceded an average of just 107.8 points
In particular, the two big men Evan Mobley (1.6 blocks per game) and Jarrett Allen (1.2) anchor the Cavs defense with their interior presence.
Offensively, Cleveland can actually rely on a genuine superstar in Donovan Mitchell, who contributes 28 points, 6.2 assists and 1.8 steals at solid rates of 47.2% from the field and 37.1% from the three-point line.
However, his absence has caused the Cavaliers’ offense to stutter, as they have scored just 104.7 points per game in their last six games
With 37 wins and 27 losses, the visiting Suns currently rank sixth in the Western Conference, with the first guaranteed playoff spot.
After a strong start to the calendar year, the Suns have also been vulnerable of late and have a record of just 4-5 in their last nine games.
However, the Suns have also been able to win statement games such as against the defending champions from Denver (+10 after overtime) or the Lakers (+10).
In their last game, without the ankle-injured Devin Booker (who could return against the Cavs), they were beaten -10 by the historically good offense of the Boston Celtics in front of their home crowd.
Meanwhile, the three-headed scoring behemoth of Booker, Kevin Durant and Beal – which has only been playing together regularly since the turn of the year – has proven to be offensively destructive, as Suns supporters had hoped.
Forward Durant (28.3 points on 52.9% from the field and an outstanding 42.3% from the three-point line) and guards Booker (27.8/49.9%/37.9%) and Beal (18.4/49.6%/38.1%) undoubtedly form one of the best offensive trios in the NBA.
Together on the hardwood, the three stars are outscoring their opponents by an average of +10.1 points and have a strong offensive rating of 123.9.
Since the beginning of the year, the Suns have the twelfth-best offense (rating of 117.4) and even the ninth-best defense (113).
In favor of the Suns against the Cavs, who have to contest an unpopular back-to-back, is the fact that they have won five of the last meetings.
But the Cavs, who lost 101-120 to the Nets last night, have won the last two meetings
However, I don’t expect another win for the tired and injury-riddled Cavs, who didn’t exactly cover themselves in glory last night against the lousy Nets.
The rested Suns, thanks to their formidable offense, should have the upper hand against the Cavaliers, who are missing their best ring protector.
To get attractive odds, I recommend a handicap bet that gives the Suns a notional 4.5-point deficit.
Therefore, my Cavaliers Suns tip is: Away win with HC -4.5!
