Nets vs Cavaliers Prediction, Picks & Player Props (Dec. 26): Will Mitchell and Durant put on a show in Cleveland?

After a number of standout performances by some of the NBA’s best and brightest on Christmas Day, will we see more excellence on display tonight? One place to look for the stars to shine is the matchup between the Brooklyn Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers (7:00 pm ET, NBA TV) at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Yesterday, the top two teams in the Eastern Conference met in Boston, with the Celtics downing the Milwaukee Bucks 139-118 behind a 41-point game by Jayson Tatum.

Tonight, the third and fourth best teams in the East tangle in Cleveland, with the Cavaliers (22-12, 16-3 home) a half-game ahead of the Nets (21-12, 9-7 away) in the standings.

The Cavs are coming off of a surprising home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Friday, but they still have the second-best home win percentage in the NBA, behind only the Golden State Warriors (13-2, .867).

Can they rebound tonight against the hottest team in the NBA? The Nets have won eight in a row since a loss to the Celtics on December 4.

Read on for our Nets vs Cavaliers prediction, along with our favorite betting picks for tonight’s matchup in Cleveland.

It’s a new week, and that means you can start working towards getting your weekly $10 Free Bet at BetUS for placing three or more NBA Same-Game Parlays between now and Sunday.

With 52 games on the schedule this week, you will not be lacking for options, so don’t miss out.

Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Monday, December 26, 2022, at 1:29 pm ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites.

Spread

• Brooklyn Nets +2 (-110)
• Cleveland Cavaliers -2 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 221 (-110)
• Under 221 (-110)

Moneyline

• Brooklyn Nets +110
• Cleveland Cavaliers -130

Can the Cavaliers Continue This Perfect Trend Tonight?

The final margin of Friday’s 118-107 loss to the Raptors is actually pretty generous to the Cavaliers, who trailed by as many as 26 points in the third quarter before making the scoreline somewhat respectable in the final period.

Cleveland actually shot over 50 percent from the field, but while they shot 65.1 percent (28 of 43) on two-point shots, they shot only 33.3 percent (11 of 33) from three. That wasn’t nearly good enough when they allowed the Raptors to shoot 50 percent from the field and make 19 threes on 51.4 percent shooting.

It was also Donovan Mitchell’s worst shooting performance with his new team, as he was only 4 of 16 (25 percent) from the field overall. That eclipsed his 5 of 19 (26.3 percent) game against the Orlando Magic on October 26.

But we will see the Cavs bounce back tonight if they continue to respond like they have to double-digit losses thus far this season.

Friday’s loss to Toronto was their sixth double-digit loss of the season. How did they respond to the first five?

• 113-98 loss at Milwaukee on November 16: won 132-122 in 2OT vs Charlotte on November 18
• 117-102 loss at Milwaukee on November 25: won 102-94 at Detroit on November 27
• 100-88 loss at Toronto on November 28: won 113-85 vs Philadelphia on November 30
• 92-81 loss at New York on December 4: won 116-102 vs Los Angeles Lakers on December 6
• 106-95 loss vs Sacramento on December 9: won 110-102 vs Oklahoma City on December 10

Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Prediction and Picks

Nets vs Cavaliers Prediction: Cavaliers to win

Nets vs Cavaliers Pick: Cavaliers ML (Best Value: -130 at BetOnline & BetUS)

Along with winning in all five instances above, they covered the spread in three and pushed against Charlotte and Detroit.

Tonight’s matchup against the Nets is tougher than any of those, as only the 76ers have a winning record at present.

But the Cavaliers boast an 11-6 record against teams who currently have a winning record, including a 9-1 mark at home, so they are definitely equipped to handle tonight’s challenge.

Brooklyn Nets vs Cleveland Cavaliers Player Props

• Donovan Mitchell over 26.5 points (Best Value: -125 at BetMGM)
• Donovan Mitchell over 3.5 made threes (Best Value: +100 at BetUS & BetMGM)

Against the Raptors, Mitchell managed only 12 points, which was just the fifth time (in 30 games) this season that he has been held below 20 points.

In the other instances, he has responded with 41, 29, 18, and 34 points. For what it’s worth, that 18-point game was the 28-point win over the 76ers on November 30, in which he played only 26 minutes.

Overall, it was just the eighth time he has scored fewer than 25 points this season, with three 23-point efforts to add to the games in which he scored fewer than 20 points. And following those three 23-point games, he responded with 34, 43, and 36 points.

So, a prolific night should be in the cards for Mitchell. And it is likely to come with a productive perimeter performance, as he is averaging 4.1 made threes at home.

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