The Cleveland Cavaliers (22-19) and Philadelphia 76ers (22-16) will face off in the NBA tonight. Tipoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET from Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa. The game will broadcast live on ESPN.
The Sixers are 1-point favorites over the Cavaliers on the spread (76ers -1), with the over/under set at 237 total points. Philadelphia is a -115 favorites to win outright on the moneyline, while Cleveland is -105 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Cavaliers vs. 76ers predictions and NBA picks for Wednesday, January 14.
Cavaliers vs 76ers Prediction
- Cavaliers vs 76ers picks: De'Andre Hunter Under 15.5 Points + Rebounds (-120), Sam Merrill Over 11.5 Points (-110)
My 76ers vs. Cavaliers best bets are on De'Andre Hunter Under 15.5 Points + Rebounds and Sam Merrill Over 11.5 Points. Make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Cavaliers vs 76ers Odds
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1 -110 | 237 -110o / -110u | -105 |
| 76ers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1 -110 | 237 -110o / -110u | -115 |
Cavaliers vs 76ers NBA Preview
The Cavaliers are back to their uneasy selves, and apparently, that's just who they are going to be this season.
The Cavs have won just 2-of-5 games heading into tonight, and at 22-19 on the year, they already can’t match last season’s record, when they finished 64-18.
So, even winning their final 41 games would represent a step back — and obviously, they won’t. I mean, they might not even win tonight.
Meanwhile, the 76ers are 22-16 this season, just two wins away from their 24-58 mark from a year ago, when they were injury-riddled and starting Kyle Lowry, Justin Edwards and Eric Gordon around this same time.
Philly has won 6-of-8 heading into tonight, something Cleveland hasn’t done since early-to-mid November. These two teams will meet again on Friday, this time in Philadelphia.
Injury-wise, Cleveland will be without Dean Wade (knee) and Max Strus (foot).
Philadelphia has Joel Embiid (knee), VJ Edgecombe (adductor) and Paul George (knee) all listed as probable, meaning the 76ers are expected to be close to full strength.
Still, late downgrades are always possible, so be sure to check the injury report this afternoon and again before tipoff.
Cavaliers vs 76ers Prediction, Betting Analysis
De’Andre Hunter seems to be trending in the opposite direction, so we’ll fade him in this spot.
He logged just 18 minutes last game and 20 the one before, going well under his points + rebounds prop.
I played the under at 15.5 for tonight, with a head nod to Buckets teammate and Rotogrinders’ Kyle Murray, who was all over this earlier this morning.
Hunter has to deal with the full core four playing tonight — Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
On top of that, he��s losing minutes to Jaylon Tyson, who has logged between 24 and 31 minutes in six of the last seven games, and in seven of the last nine overall.
Sam Merrill is the fifth starter and is averaging 26.5 minutes for the season. Hunter appears to be falling out of favor on a healthier version of this team and has been no better than second off the bench in four straight contests.
The on-court results back it up: he’s gone way under this number in back-to-back games as his minutes continue to dip. Merrill and Tyson should again be the main beneficiaries if Hunter struggles.
As a result, I’ll also play Sam Merrill over 11.5 points.
Merrill has cleared this in 17 of 23 games this season, in 12 of 15 starts, and in six straight games.
Cavaliers vs 76ers Best Bets
- De'Andre Hunter Under 15.5 Points + Rebounds (-120)
- Sam Merrill Over 11.5 Points (-110)
