Thunder vs Cavaliers NBA Betting Tips & Predictions (1/8/25)

Oklahoma City Thunder (30-5 SU, 23-11 ATS) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (31-4 SU, 25-10 ATS)

When: Wednesday, January 8th, 7:00 PM (ET)

Where: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, OH, Cleveland

TV: ESPN

Point Spread: OKC +3/Cle -3

Total: 228

Money Line: Oklahoma City Thunder +124/-146

Notable Injuries

Thunder

• Alex Caruso (Out) Hip
• Chet Holmgren (Out) Hip
• Nikola Topic (Out) Knee
• Ajay Mitchell (Out) Toe

Cavaliers

• Isaac Okoro (Questionable) Shoulder
• Sam Merrill (Questionable) Ankle

At 7:00 ET, the Thunder will travel to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. This non-conference matchup will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and can be seen on ESPN.

Both teams are on impressive win streaks, with the Thunder winning 15 straight and the Cavaliers winning 10 straight. Cleveland is favored by 3 points and is 31-4 on the season. Oklahoma City is 30-5 and has a 1st place ranking in the Western Conference.

Recent Form

The Thunder improved to 30-5 on the season with a 105-92 win over the Celtics on Sunday. Playing at home, Oklahoma City entered the game as a +1 point underdogs and covered the spread. The total points for the game were 197, well below the 225-point line.

Boston led 65-55 at halftime, but the Thunder’s defense tightened in the second half. They held the Celtics to 15 points in the 3rd quarter and just 12 in the 4th while scoring 29 points in the final period to secure the win.

The Cavaliers improved to 31-4 on the season with a 115-105 win over the Hornets on Sunday. Cleveland was favored by 16 points at home but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 220 fell short of the O/U line of 230.5.

A key moment came when Cleveland went on a 10-0 run, stretching their lead from 34-25 to 44-25. The Hornets outscored the Cavs in the 3rd and 4th quarters, but Cleveland’s 91-78 lead heading into the final period was enough to secure the win.

The Historicals

Through the last five matchups between the teams, Oklahoma City has an ATS mark of 4-1. But, looking at the scoring margin in these games, an average of just 2 points per game separates the teams. Oklahoma City and Cleveland averaged a combined 212 points per game in these games, leading to an over-under mark of 1-4.

Analysis

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder to a win over the Celtics with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists, shooting 47.8% from the field and hitting three threes at 50%. Oklahoma City connected on 16 threes as a team, shooting 42.1% from deep, though their overall field goal percentage was 44.8%.

Aaron Wiggins added 15 points, hitting three threes at 50%, and Luguentz Dort contributed 14 points, knocking down four threes at 44.4%. Dort scored 11 of his points in the 4th quarter, while Gilgeous-Alexander added 7 in the final period.

Despite a rough start, the Thunder’s defense tightened up in the 2nd half, allowing just 27 points in the 3rd and 4th quarters combined, leading to a 105-92 win over the Celtics. Oklahoma City held Boston to 36% shooting from the field.

The Thunder were particularly effective in defending the three, as the Celtics made just nine threes on 19% shooting. Oklahoma City also recorded 11 steals and six blocks in the game.

Darius Garland led the Cavaliers with 25 points and four threes in their 115-105 win over the Hornets, shooting 57.1% from the field and from beyond the arc. Jarrett Allen was nearly perfect, hitting 90% of his shots and finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Donovan Mitchell also contributed 19 points, adding 8 in the 4th quarter.

The Cavs hit 15 threes at a 34.9% clip, shooting 47.8% overall. Garland scored 8 points in the 3rd quarter, while Mitchell added 9 in the 3rd and eight more in the final period.

The Cavaliers held the Hornets to 105 points on Sunday, giving up 23 in the 1st quarter and 25 in the 2nd. Cleveland allowed 30 points in the 3rd but limited Charlotte to 27 in the 4th to secure the win.

Defensively, the Cavaliers held the Hornets to 41% shooting from the field, including 35% from three-point range, with Charlotte hitting 15 threes. The Hornets also went 14/19 from the free-throw line. Cleveland recorded 32 defensive rebounds, gave up 13 offensive boards, and added five steals and five blocks.

Betting Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Thunder have a straight-up record of 9-1 while going 6-4 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 113 points per game in these contests.
• Across the Cavaliers’ last ten home games, the team averaged 120 points per game while allowing 113. Their record vs. the spread in these contests was 7-3 while going 7-3 straight-up.
• As the betting underdog, the Thunder have an ATS record of 3-0 in their last three games. In these matchups, their straight-up record was 2-1.
• Cleveland has done well both straight up and vs. the spread when favored to win the game, going 5-0 SU and 5-0 ATS in their last five games.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

Tonight, we have the matchup of the year so far, as the Cavaliers and Thunder square off in Cleveland. Something will have to give, as the Cavs have won 10 straight, and the Thunder are on a 15-game win streak. This includes the taking down of the Celtics in their last game. Currently, the Cavaliers are favored by -3, and I see their home-court advantage playing a big role tonight, and I’m taking them to win this heavyweight matchup. I got Cleveland to cover.