Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Phoenix Suns Pick | April 3

Cleveland Cavaliers (46-30 SU, 36-38 ATS) vs. Phoenix Suns (44-31 SU, 31-43 ATS)

When: Wednesday, April 3rd, 10:00 PM (ET)

Where: Footprint Center, AZ, Phoenix

TV: ESPN

Point Spread: Cle +5.5/Pho -5.5

Total: 226.5

Money Line: Cleveland Cavaliers +180/-221

Notable Injuries

Cavaliers

• Donovan Mitchell (Questionable) Injury Management
• Ty Jerome (Out) Ankle
• Dean Wade (Out) Knee
• Isaac Okoro (Questionable) Toe
• Craig Porter Jr. (Questionable) Illness

Suns

• Damion Lee (Out) Knee
• Grayson Allen (Questionable) Hip

At 10:00 ET, the 3rd ranked Cleveland Cavaliers (46-30) travel to Phoenix to take on the 8th ranked Suns (44-31). The Suns are currently favored by 5.5 points and the over/under line is set at 226.5.

This non-conference matchup can be seen on ESPN.

Recent Form

In their last three games as the underdog, the Cavaliers have gone 0-3 ATS. Today, they are 5.5-point underdogs against the Suns. So far, they have an ATS record of 13-12 as the underdog.

This season, Cleveland has an O/U record of 38-37-1, and the over has hit in six straight games. On average, their games have finished with 222.5 points, which is lower than today’s O/U line of 226.5.

The Cavs are 11-15 as the underdog this season and have gone 36-38 straight-up. In the Eastern Conference, they are currently in 3rd place and 2nd in the Central Division.

Cleveland’s most recent game was a 129-113 win over the Jazz. They covered the spread as 9.5-point favorites and moved their overall record to 46-30.

In the Eastern Conference, the Cavs are 30-20 against other teams in the East and 16-10 against the West. On the road, they are 22-16 compared to 24-14 at home.

The Suns have a record of 44-31 this season, which puts them in 3rd place in the Pacific Division and 8th in the Western Conference. In the West, they are 25-21 compared to 19-10 against non-conference opponents.

At home, the Suns are 23-14 this season, and they have won their last two home games. Against the spread at home, they are 14-22 and 22-32 as the favorite. Today, they are favored by 5.5 points.

Phoenix’s O/U record for the season is 34-40-1, and the over has hit in their last two games. This year, their games have averaged 230.8 points per game, and today’s O/U line is set at 226.5.

In their most recent game, the Suns defeated the Pelicans by a score of 124-111. The O/U line for that game was 222.5, and Phoenix was a 1.5-point underdog going into the game.

The Suns have gone 9-11 vs. the spread as the favorite and 22-32 ATS as the favorite. Their ATS record at home is 14-22, and they have covered the spread in their last two home games.

The Historicals

Spanning across the last 5 head-to-head matchups, the Cavaliers and Suns have been competitive, with an average margin of victory sitting at just 0 points per game. This has resulted in a 4-1 ATS record for Cleveland. The over-under record in these same games is 2-3, with the teams combining for an average of 208 points per game.

Analysis

Heading into their game against the Suns, the Cavaliers are 19th in the league in scoring at 112.8 points per game. However, they are just 21st in scoring on the road at 111.2 points per game.

Overall, the Cavaliers are 12th in the league in field goal percentage at 48%. They have been an efficient team inside the arc, making 56% of their two-point attempts (9th). From three-point range, they are hitting 36% of their shots (15th).

When it comes to pace, the Cavaliers are 21st in the league at 96.9 possessions per game. In terms of assists, they are 8th in the NBA with an average of 28.1 per game.

At this time, the Cavaliers’ defense is positioned 7th in the NBA, permitting 109.8 points per game. When it comes to defending inside the arc, the Cavaliers squad is permitting opposing teams to shoot at a clip of 52.3% inside the arc, and they’re also giving up 36.6% from downtown.

At 116.8 points per game, the Suns are 10th in the NBA in scoring. In terms of pace, they are 15th in the league at 98.1 possessions per game. Phoenix is a strong shooting team, ranking 4th in field goal percentage at 49%. They are also 3rd in true shooting percentage.

When playing at home, the Suns are averaging 117.1 points per game compared to 116.5 on the road. So far, they have outscored the NBA scoring average in 56% of their games. In terms of assists, Phoenix is 11th in the league.

From beyond the arc, the Suns are 5th in three-point shooting at 38%. However, they are just 24th in three-point attempts per game. In terms of free throws, Phoenix is 2nd in the NBA at 19 made free throws per game.

At present, the Suns’ defense is ranked 16th, allowing 114.1 points per game. Phoenix’s defense is currently forcing 14.1 turnovers per game, which is 25th in the league. Additionally, they enter the game ranked 5th in blocked shots, with an average of 6.1 rejections per game.

Betting Trends

• Across their three previous road games, Cleveland has an ATS mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 113 points per game.
• When looking at their past three matchups at home, Phoenix has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 110 per game. The team went 2-1 overall in these games.
• Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Cavaliers have a straight up record of 2-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.
• In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Suns have a straight up record of 6-4 and an ATS mark of 4-6.

Joes Pick To Cover The Spread

The Suns come into this one in a tie for the 7th seed in the West with the Kings, and these are the types of games they need to win, as the Cavs are playing on back-to-back nights and come into the game banged up. I’m counting on the offensive firepower for the Suns to be too much to handle for a Cleveland team that could be without Donovan Mitchell and some key reserves.