The Oklahoma City Thunder (35-8) and Cleveland Cavaliers (24-19) will face off in the NBA on Monday afternoon. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. ET from Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The game will broadcast live on NBC and Peacock.
The Thunder are 6.5-point favorites over the Cavaliers on the spread (Thunder -6.5), with the over/under set at 234.5 total points. Oklahoma City is a -245 favorite to win outright on the moneyline, while Cleveland is +200 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Thunder vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks for Monday, January 19.
Thunder vs Cavaliers Prediction, Picks
- Thunder vs Cavaliers pick: Cavaliers +6.5 (-115)
My Cavaliers vs. Thunder best bet is on Cleveland to cover the spread, but make sure to find the best odds by checking our live NBA odds page.
Thunder vs Cavaliers Odds
| Thunder Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -105 | 234.5 -110o / -110u | -245 |
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -115 | 234.5 -110o / -110u | +200 |
Thunder vs Cavaliers NBA Preview
The Cavaliers return home for today's game, sweeping a two-game set in Philadelphia. The latter of the two was a nailbiter as they rallied from a double-digit deficit in the fourth quarter for a 117-115 victory.
In Wednesday's game, Donovan Mitchell exploded for 20 of his 35 points in the third quarter.
76ers' head coach Nick Nurse opted to force the ball out of his hands on Friday, and it nearly worked as Mitchell scored just 13 points, but he also nearly recorded a triple-double with nine rebounds and 12 assists.
Mitchell was Cleveland's primary facilitator with Darius Garland out of the lineup, and Garland will be re-evaluated in 7-10 days with a great right toe sprain. In his absence, Jaylon Tyson stepped with a career-high 39 points on 13-for-17 from the field and 7-for-9 from behind the arc.
However, it was his game-winning assist that set up Evan Mobley for the game-winning dunk. Tyson has now scored 15 points in each of his last eight games without Garland, but he also likely will have a bigger section on the Thunder's scouting report heading into this one.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City continues its road trip after falling 122-120 to Miami on Saturday night on a game-winning basket by Andrew Wiggins.
The loss snapped a five-game winning streak, and it was the Thunder's second loss in their last three games against Eastern Conference opponents after suffering just once such a loss since the start of last season.
The team also lost star forward Jalen Williams in the second quarter to a right hamstring strain, and there currently is no timetable for his return.
Williams' scoring numbers (16.8 PPG) are a bit down because he missed the first 19 games of the year following right wrist surgery. That also gives the Thunder a bit more familiarity in playing without him, as they went 18-1 with him out of the lineup.
Ajay Mitchell and Aaron Wiggins will be tasked with replicating Williams' scoring as well as Isaiah Joe from the perimeter.
Though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will likely be the Thunder's leading scorer once again. Despite the loss, he scored 39 points on Saturday for his 113th consecutive game with at least 20 points. Gilgeous-Alexander is second in the league with 31.8 points per game.
Thunder vs Cavaliers Prediction, Betting Analysis
Though the Thunder still leads the NBA in net rating, it has not been as dominant against the spread at 21-22 this season. They are also 10-10 as a road favorite this season, while this is just the second time that Cleveland is a home underdog this season.
Cleveland has been more inconsistent this season, but it has been playing well of late, winning seven of its last 10 games, as Oklahoma City has.
Last season, the Thunder's lone loss against an Eastern Conference team was in Cleveland in one of the best regular-season games of the year.
The Cavaliers may not win outright tonight, but I do like them to stay within seven points. In the Thunder's last six road games favored by 5.5 points or more, they have covered just one of them.
Tyson will look to stay hot after his career performance. Even if he is a bit more human tonight, he averages 13.4 points per game and has scored 12 points in three of his last four games.
He may be the beneficiary of more attention on Mitchell again without Garland. Mitchell has had six assists in seven of his last 10 games and seven of his last nine without Garland.
Without Williams, Mitchell is averaging 15.9 points per game this season. He has scored 12 points in nine of his last 10 games without Williams and in 16 of 19 this season.
Isaiah Hartenstein also remains out for the Thunder, and that has led to more rebounding opportunities for Chet Holmgren. He is averaging 10.2 rebounds and 17.7 rebound chances over his last 10 games. He has pulled down eight rebounds in nine of those games.
Pick: Cavaliers +6.5 (-115, DraftKings)
Thunder vs Cavaliers Parlay Picks
- Jaylon Tyson 12+ Points
- Ajay Mitchell 12+ Points
- Chet Holmgren 8+ Rebounds
- Donovan Mitchell 6+ Assists
Parlay Odds: +260 via DraftKings
Spread
Back the Cavaliers to cover the spread.
Moneyline
I have no play on the moneyline.
Over/Under
No play on the total as well.
