Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers Free Pick for April 6th

Cleveland Cavaliers (46-31 SU, 36-39 ATS) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (44-33 SU, 36-41 ATS)

When: Saturday, April 6th, 3:30 PM (ET)

Where: Crypto.com Arena, CA, Los Angeles

TV: SN-LA

Point Spread: Cle +5/LAL -5

Total: 228.5

Money Line: Cleveland Cavaliers +172/-210

Notable Injuries

Cavaliers

• Ty Jerome (Out) Ankle
• Dean Wade (Out) Knee
• Isaac Okoro (Out) Toe
• Craig Porter Jr. (Probable) Illness

Lakers

• Anthony Davis (Questionable) Knee
• LeBron James (Questionable) Ankle
• Christian Wood (Out) Knee
• Jarred Vanderbilt (Out) Foot
• Jalen Hood-Schifino (Out) Back

At 3:30 ET, the Lakers (-210) will host the Cavaliers (+172) in a non-conference matchup. Los Angeles is favored by 5 and the over/under line is 228.5. The Lakers are on a 3-game win streak and are 9th in the Western Conference. Cleveland is 3rd in the Eastern Conference and has a record of 46-31.

This game will be played at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and can be seen on SN-LA.

Recent Form

In the Eastern Conference standings, the Cavaliers are currently in 3rd place with a record of 46-31. Within their division, they are in 2nd place behind the Bucks.

This season, the Cavaliers have an average scoring differential of +1.5 points per game on the road. Their road record is 22-17, which is 5th in the East.

Cleveland has gone 13-13 ATS as the underdog this season and is 11-16 straight-up in those games. Today, they are 5-point underdogs and are looking to snap a 4-game ATS losing streak as the underdog.

In their last game, the Cavaliers lost to the Suns by a score of 122-101. The O/U line for that game was 226.5 points, and Cleveland was getting 6 points on the spread.

On the season, the Cavaliers have a 38-38-1 O/U record, and their games have averaged 222.5 points per game. Today’s O/U line is set at 228.5 points.

Overall, the Cavaliers are 36-39 ATS this season, going 18-19 ATS on the road. In their last four games as the underdog, they have also failed to cover the spread.

The Lakers are looking to extend their winning streak to four games today when they host the Cavaliers. The Lakers have also won three straight games against the spread, and they are favored by 5 points today.

Los Angeles’ O/U record for the season is 44-33, and their last two games have gone over the posted total. This year, Lakers games have averaged 235.4 points per game, and today’s O/U line is set at 228.5.

In their most recent game, the Lakers defeated the Wizards by a score of 125-120. The Lakers were favored by 13 points in that game, giving them a 5-point ATS loss.

Currently, the Lakers are in 9th place in the Western Conference with a record of 44-33. In the Pacific Division, they are in 4th place. Against other Western Conference teams, the Lakers are 25-23 and 19-10 against the East.

On average, the Lakers have outscored their opponents by 4.9 points per game at home. Their ATS record at home is 19-20, while they are 17-21 on the road. As the favorite, the Lakers are 30-13 this season.

The Historicals

When looking at how these teams have performed against the spread in recent matchups, the Lakers hold the edge at 3-2. However, the average scoring margin in these matchups has been tight, sitting at just 0 points per game. Over the course of these games, they averaged 226 points per game, leading a 2-3 over-under record.

Analysis

When it comes to scoring, the Cavaliers are 19th in the NBA at 112.6 points per game. Interestingly, they have actually scored more points on the road (110.9) than at home (114.3).

So far this season, the Cavaliers have outscored the NBA scoring average in 42.9% of their games. In terms of pace, they are 21st in the league at 96.9 possessions per game.

One area where the Cavaliers have been strong is their three-point shooting. They are 7th in the NBA in three-point makes per game (13.5) and 9th in three-point attempts (37). However, their three-point shooting percentage is just 36%.

At this time, the Cavaliers’ defense is positioned 7th in the NBA, permitting 109.9 points per game. For the season, Cleveland is ranked 25th in fewest fouls per game. The team’s averaging 21.2 free throws per game vs. the Cavaliers and has an overall field goal percentage of 46.3%.

This season, the Lakers’ offense has been one of the most efficient in the league. They are ranked 7th in scoring at 117.9 points per game. At home, they are averaging 119.1 points per game.

Los Angeles has been one of the top teams at getting to the free-throw line, ranking 3rd in attempts. They are also 2nd in pace at 101.2 possessions per game.

When it comes to shooting, the Lakers are 3rd in field goal percentage at 49%. However, they are one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the league, ranking 29th in attempts and 24th in makes.

The Lakers’ defense is presently ranked 23rd in the league, allowing an average of 117.5 points per contest. When it comes to forced turnovers, the Lakers are forcing 13.4 per game, which is 20th in the league. They also come into the game sitting 10th in blocked shots at 5.6 per game.

Betting Trends

• Although Cleveland has a straight up record of 1-2 in their last three road games, they have not held up as well vs the spread going 1-2. The team averaged 110 points per game in these games.
• The Lakers are 2-1 ATS in their last three home games and 3-0 straight-up.
• Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 4-6. But, their mark vs the spread was just 5-5.
• Through their last three games as the favorite, the Lakers have an ATS record of 2-1 and a straight up mark of 3-0.

Joe’s Pick To Cover The Spread

The Cavaliers caught a break yesterday as the Bucks, Magic and Knicks all lost and now the Cavs are just one game behind Milwaukee for the 2nd seed in the East. But now, they have to face a Lakers team that is on a three-game winning streak and still has a chance to improve their potential seeding in the play-tournament or, if they stay really hot, make a run for 6th seed, as they are just two games behind the Suns. Look for the Lakers to take care of business at home, and for them to cover the spread at -5.