The Cleveland Cavaliers (49-10) will host the Portland Trail Blazers (27-33) in the NBA this afternoon. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The game will broadcast live on NBA TV.
The Cavaliers are 11.5-point favorites over the Blazers on the spread (Cavaliers -11.5), with the over/under set at 237 total points. Cleveland is a -575 favorite to win outright, while Portland is +425 to pull off the upset.
Let's get to my Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers predictions and NBA picks for Sunday, March 2.
Trail Blazers vs Cavaliers Prediction
Spread
The Cavaliers are laying double-digits despite ruling out their best player, Donovan Mitchell, due to rest. While no one would question Cleveland's quality during the campaign, this spread feels a bit steep against a feisty Portland team that enters the contest with its second-longest winning streak (four games) of the year.
Moneyline
Cleveland should still have enough depth to win the game. However, with odds as high as -700, the moneyline is an easy pass.
Over/Under
Despite the bullish move from 227 to as high as 237, I'm less convinced with the total. My model projects a number closer to 232.8, leaving me without much wiggle room to recommend a play in either direction.
My Pick: Trail Blazers +11.5
Trail Blazers vs Cavaliers Odds, Lines, Picks
| Trail Blazers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -110 | 237 -110 / -110 | +425 |
| Cavaliers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -110 | 237 -110 / -110 | -575 |
- Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers spread: Cavaliers -11.5
- Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers over/under: 237 total points
- Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers moneyline: Trail Blazers +425, Cavaliers -575
- Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers best bet: Trail Blazers +11.5 (-110)
My Cavaliers vs. Trail Blazers best bet is on Portland to cover the spread, with the best line currently available at bet365. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Portland Trail Blazers vs Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Sunday Preview
Cavaliers fans must excuse the decision to rest Mitchell for their upcoming game. After all, the Cleveland guard left everything on the court when he scored a season-best 41 points to lead the Cavaliers to Friday's victory over the Celtics after trailing by 22 points.
Mitchell's availability has been part of the reason for Cleveland being so successful, considering this will be just the fourth game he'll miss all season.
However, his absence could signal a potential loss of focus for Cavaliers players when they see the star guard in street clothes on the sidelines. It's almost like the time in school when the teacher is out and you think there's no reason to be at your best with the substitute leading the lesson plan.
There's also the thought that Cleveland exerted so much effort in their comeback against Boston that this game will naturally feel like a letdown spot.
And if you're Portland, you might feel somewhat slighted at the fact that the Cavaliers aren't too bothered with sitting out their best player with the Trail Blazers coming to town.
Suddenly, we have a decent narrative that supports the Trail Blazers making this a competitive game.
With 27 wins, Portland has already surpassed last season's mark of 21. It's also well ahead of their projected win total of 22.5.
Thus, this Trail Blazers team has clearly outperformed market expectations and it wouldn't surprise me if we got another reminder on Sunday afternoon.
The numbers don't bode well for the Cavaliers when laying more than 10.5 points with Mitchell out, considering that Cleveland is just 1-4 against the spread (ATS) in this spot.
This season, Portland is 6-7 ATS when catching 10.5 or more points and 6-4 when the line is 11 points or higher. I'll trust the numbers here and back the visitors to do enough to keep things interesting.
Trail Blazers vs Cavaliers Best Bets
I'm starting to find that you get more value when you build parlays that aren't necessarily correlated. As a result, I'll look to combine a Cavaliers' player prop with the Trail Blazers covering the spread at 11.5.
Mitchell's absence should allow another member of the Cavaliers to step up and Evan Mobley is a likely candidate with his points prop available at 18.5.
Mobley has cleared this line in four of his last five home games and two previous meetings against the Trail Blazers.
More importantly, he has also surpassed this projection in all three games that Mitchell missed this season.
His increase in free throw attempts (4.2 to 5.7) would suggest that the heightened aggression is promising for his chances of exceeding his prop number.
Combining both legs in our parlay would help boost our odds to +202 at DraftKings.
Cavaliers vs. Trail Blazers Best Bet
- Trail Blazers +11.5 (-110)
Same Game Parlay Picks
- Trail Blazers +11
- Evan Mobley 18+ Points
Parlay Payout: +202 — DraftKings
Cavaliers vs. Trail Blazers Betting Trends
