The Cleveland Cavaliers have not performed like the reigning NBA champions that they are on the road this season. They will aim to turn that around in a matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves this week.
Cleveland has gone just 14-11 on the road this season, compared to 23-5 at home. The Timberwolves would love to deliver the Cavs another loss but it won’t be easy. While Minnesota has some talented young pieces, it is still in lottery land once again and this would be a big upset if they can knock off the defending champs.
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The Cavaliers are 37-16 straight up and 24-27-2 against the spread. They have covered in just 10 of 25 games on the road this season in addition to the underwhelming straight up record. Cleveland hopes to play better in this one. It will assuredly be the favorite and is 22-22-2 against the spread this season in that scenario.
The Timberwolves are 21-34 straight up and 23-32 against the spread. Minnesota has played in 31 home games this season and has covered in 15 of them. The Timberwolves are 13-14 against the spread as an underdog on the season.
Injury report
Kevin Love is a former Timberwolves star who was traded a few seasons ago for Andrew Wiggins and others in a blockbuster deal a few seasons ago. He would have been pumped to play in this one but has been ruled out of the game because of knee soreness.
Love’s absence is a big one, as he is one of Cleveland’s best players. Love is averaging 20.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per contest and is one of the elite big men in the game. He was the best player on the Timberwolves for many years but the team success never followed. He has taken a backseat to LeBron James on the Cavs but won a ring last year and would have been a key player in this one.
Wiggins is healthy hopes to show his worth after Cleveland traded him to get a more veteran star in Love. Wiggins is one of the bright spots for the Timberwolves. He is averaging 22.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest and is one of the most athletic players in the league. As he gains experience he will continue to get better.
Key Stat
Minus-1.0. That is the Timberwolves’ point-differential on the season, which is usually indicative of a team with a much better record than it currently sports. Minnesota has a better point-differential than any other non-playoff team in the West and yet sits in third-to-last.
This bodes well for the future, as Minnesota is not as bad as its record suggests. However, this is such a tough game that it likely won’t result in a victory against the defending champions. The T-Wolves will have to be considered against the spread as they have played much better at home this season and have a lot of close losses.
A lot of games can come down to one or two possessions and the T-Wolves have been on the wrong side of too many of them thus far. If their fortunes change, their record could really improve down the stretch, but that will matter more in games when the talent level is closer.
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While Love is out, the Cavaliers still have plenty of firepower with James and Kyrie Irving leading the way. Tristan Thompson is usually the fourth option but could see an uptick in touches with Love out.
The Timberwolves will lean on Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns to lead the way. If they can play well, don’t be surprised if Minnesota hangs around. The Cavaliers will be comfortable favorites, but keep a close eye on that spread.
The Timberwolves play well at home while Cleveland has struggled on the road, so it could add up to a cover, even if an outright upset is unlikely.
NBA Odds: Cavaliers 108, Timberwolves 102
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