Phoenix Suns vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Point Spread Pick 1/4/23

Phoenix Suns (20-18 SU, 18-18-2 ATS) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (24-14 SU, 21-16-1 ATS)
When: Wednesday, January 4th, 7:00 PM (ET)
Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, OH, Cleveland
TV: BSOH

Point Spread: PHO +5/ CLE -5
Total: 221.5
Money Line: Phoenix Suns +167/ -205

Notable Injuries

Suns

• Jae Crowder (Out) Not Injury Related
• Devin Booker (Out) Groin
• Cameron Johnson (Out) Knee

Cavaliers

• Ricky Rubio (Out) Knee
• Darius Garland (Doubtful) Thumb
• Dylan Windler (Out) Ankle
• Dean Wade (Out) Shoulder
• Mamadi Diakite (Out) Undisclosed
• Evan Mobley (Questionable) Ankle

Recent Form

Heading into the game, Phoenix is 20-18 overall. When taking to the road, Phoenix has a mark of 6-13 and a win percentage of 32%. Currently, the team is 8th in the Western Conference. So far, they are 18-18-2 vs. the spread. Phoenix travels to take on the Cavaliers, hoping to avoid their 4th straight loss.

In their last outing, Phoenix was unable to come away with a win against the Knicks, losing by a score of 102-83. Deandre Ayton led the team with 12 points, but it was not enough to overcome their status as 2-point underdogs. The Suns also ended up with an ATS loss in the game.

Heading into the game, Cleveland is 24-14 overall. When playing at home, Cleveland has a mark of 17-4 and a win percentage of 81%. Currently, the team is 4th in the Eastern Conference. So far, they are 21-16-1 vs. the spread. Cleveland will look to stay hot in today’s game vs. Phoenix as they are the winners of 2 straight games.

In their preceding game, the Cavaliers overpowered the Bulls, earning a 145-134 win as 4-point favorites. Donovan Mitchell led the way for the Cavaliers, putting up 71 points on 64.7% shooting. The Cavaliers not only secured the victory but also covered the spread.

The Historicals

This season, the Suns will look to continue their strong play over Cleveland, as they won both of last year’s matchups. Phoenix won game 1 of the series by a score of 120-101 and wrapped up the head-to-head meetings with a 101-92 victory. Similar to their season-long average, the Suns averaged 110.5 points per game vs. the Cavaliers. Just like the Suns, the Cavaliers maintained their usual level of scoring in head-to-head matchups, averaging 103.5 points per game vs. Phoenix. The ATS record across the previous five head-to-head meetings is 3-2 in favor of the Suns. In these matchups, Phoenix has averaged 119 points per game while allowing 110. A combined average of 229 points per game was achieved in these matchups, leading to an over-under mark of 4-1.

Analysis

This season, the Suns’ offense averages 114.2 points per game, which is 15th in the NBA. In terms of pace, Phoenix has been playing at one of the slower tempo’s in the league, averaging just 97.3 possessions per game. The Suns have been able to put together a strong offensive attack despite sitting just 4th in 3-point shooting percentage. Overall, they are among the league leaders in attempts at 34.5 attempts per game. Defensively, the Suns have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 107.3 points per game. So far, they have done an excellent job defending the 3-point arc, allowing teams to hit just 33.9%.

An important injury to consider for today’s game is that Phoenix will be without Devin Booker, who is listed as out on the injury report. Deandre Ayton will assume the role of primary scorer for the team. This season, Ayton has been averaging 17.5 points per game for the Suns.

This season, Cleveland is averaging just 112.1 points per game, which places them 22nd in the league. A major reason for these low numbers is the fact that they play at one of the slower paces in the NBA at just 96.7 possessions per game. Cleveland heads into the game as one of the top 3-point shooting teams in terms of percentage. So far, they have hit 36.6% of their looks from deep. However, they are currently ranked just 22nd in 3-point attempts per contest. Defensively, the Cavaliers have been one of the best units in the NBA, allowing just 105.67 points per game. So far, they have allowed a 3-point shooting percentage of 35.29%, placing them 16th in the NBA.

Heading into today’s game, Cleveland will need a strong offensive effort from Donovan Mitchell and the team’s supporting cast as Darius Garland won’t be available vs. Phoenix. So far, Garland is averaging 21.4 points per game. Mitchell leads the Cavaliers at 29.3 points per contest.

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Betting Trends

• Suns are 5-1 ATS in their last six games, playing on one day’s rest.
• Suns are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 Wednesday games.
• Cavaliers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games playing on one day’s rest.
• Cavaliers are 16-6-1 ATS in their last 23 home games.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Both the Suns and Cavs will be without key players in this matchup, as Devin Booker and Darius Garland won’t be taking the floor. I see Donovan Mitchell continuing to Cleveland on his back in what should be a win for the Cavaliers. I’ll be rolling with the Cavs -5.