Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Picks 1/22/22

Oklahoma City Thunder (14-31 SU, 28-15-1 ATS) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-19 SU, 29-15-2 ATS)

When: Saturday, January 22nd, 2022, 8:00 pm (ET)

Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, OH

TV: NBA TV

Point Spread: OKC +12.5/CLE -12.5 (Opened at 12.5 at Bovada – Check out their live betting platform! It’s amazing! They’ll give you a 50% bonus and rebates on ALL your bets as well!)

Total: 208.5 (Opened at 208.5)

Money Line: OKC +560/CLE -825

Power Rating: CLE -10

Probable Starting Lineups

Oklahoma City Thunder: PG Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, SG Aaron Wiggins, SG Josh Giddy, SF Luguentz Dort, C Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

Cleveland Cavaliers: PG Darius Garland, SF Isaac Okoro, PF Lauri Markkanen, C Evan Mobley, C Jarrett Allen

Key Injuries

Oklahoma City Thunder: F Derrick Favors *Probable* (Back), G Vit Krejci *Out* (Ankle)

Cleveland Cavaliers: F Lamar Stevens *Probable* (Knee), G Rajon Rondo *Questionable* (Hamstring), G Ricky Rubio *Out* (ACL), G Collin Sexton *Out* (Knee)

Recent Form

The Oklahoma City Thunder head into this game with a 14-31 record and sit 14th in the Western Conference, only ahead of the Rockets. Over the last few years, this Thunder team has seen a full revamp, which started when they moved Russell Westbrook to Houston. Since then, the Thunder have had a grip in the bottom of the Western Conference as they continue their rebuild. With just 14 wins in their first 45 games, it is evident that they are still a few pieces away from being a relevant team again. Looking at their recent 0-4 stretch, the biggest weakness has been their offense, scoring just 99.5 PPG in those games. Going into Cleveland, it would be an obvious statement to say that the odds are stacked against them playing a top 3 defense as the worst scoring team due to their dead last field goal and three-point percentage. The team is led by Gilgeous-Alexander, who is averaging 22.5 PPG. In fact, just three Thunder players are averaging double-digit points per game. As a team, Oklahoma City is last in the league offensively as they average just 100.7 PPG. Defensively they’ve fared better as the 13th best scoring defense, giving up 107.8 PPG.

The Cleveland Cavaliers currently sit 5th in the Eastern Conference as they hold a 27-19 record. After flying under the radar for most of the season, the Cavaliers are finally starting to get some recognition. In the last two weeks, Cleveland is 5-1, including big wins over the Jazz and Nets. The way the Cavaliers have been so successful is by playing stellar defense. By out-rebounding teams as the 6th best team at not allowing rebounds, they are minimizing extra opportunities for teams. Also, as one of the slowest paced teams in the league, the Cavaliers control the pace and play keep away. For instance, a few games ago, in their win over the Jazz, they held them to just 91 points by allowing just 85 field goal attempts. In this game, they won’t face a high-powered offense, making their chances of an early runaway that much better. The Cavaliers are led offensively by Darius Garland, who is averaging 19.8 PPG. For a team with as good of a record as they have, a sub-20-point leader may be a head-scratcher, but the Cavaliers distribute the ball very well as they have nine players averaging double-digit points this season. The Cleveland offense sits as the 20th scoring offense as they average 107.5 PPG. Defensively, they hold the 3rd spot, giving up just 102.8 PPG.

Thunder on the Road

The road hasn’t been friendly to the Thunder this season as they have a 6-16 record when playing visitors. Though they have just one road win in the past month, it was a good morale booster coming against the Brooklyn Nets. Speaking of morale boosts, the Thunder have made bettors happy when standing in their corner as underdogs. In their last six games, they covered the spread four times against teams with winning records and are 14-6 in their last 20 games as road underdogs. One area they have struggled with this season is playing on back-to-back nights, as they will once again in this one. The Thunder have a 1-5 record playing on no rest and are 3-3 ATS in those games. Coming in as 12.5-point underdogs once again, the margin to cover is reasonable, but coming off a 23-point loss can often linger into the next night.

Cavaliers at Home

The Cavaliers come into this matchup with a 12-9 home record. After a long time on the road, the Cavaliers will be home for four of their next five games. Hosting the Thunder in this one is definitely a matchup they like as they will have size mismatches all night as they run a two-center lineup. With their big man lineup, the Cavaliers’ offense isn’t shooting the lights out every night because they lean so heavily on not letting opposing teams control the ball. I expect a slow-paced game once again to keep the ball away from the Thunder and use the missed shots as ammo for themselves on the other end. For bettors, even better than their home record is their record against the spread this season. The Cavaliers are 14-6-1 ATS at home this season and have caught fire as of late. In their last 13 home games, they are 10-2-1 ATS. Against teams with losing records, they’ve also been great, going 6-1-1 ATS in those games. In this game, a 12.5-point spread seems like a lot for just the 20th best defense in the league, but against the worst offense, it makes it easier to grow a lead if they can’t find the bottom of the basket.

The Historicals

This game will be the second time these teams face this season. The first matchup came just a week ago where the Cavaliers got the win on the road, 107-102. Cleveland comes in winners of two straight matchups, though the Thunder won the five games prior to that.

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How the Public is Betting the Thunder vs. Cavaliers

57% are betting the Thunder against the spread.

61% are wagering on the game to go over the posted total of 208.5.

Betting Trends Worth Noting

• The Oklahoma City Thunder are 14-6 ATS in their last 20 road games.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games vs. teams with a winning record.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers are 10-2-1 ATS in their last 13 home games.
• The Cleveland Cavaliers are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games.
• Over is 4-0 in the Thunder’s last four games vs. teams with a winning record.
• Under is 9-3 in the Cavaliers’ last 12 games as a home favorite.
• The Oklahoma City Thunder are 4-0 ATS in their last four games in Cleveland.

Collin’s Pick for Thunder/Cavaliers

This cross-conference clash is between two teams at opposite ends of their respective sides. The Thunder come in playing on back-to-back nights against one of the best defensive teams while being the worst shooting and scoring team themselves. The Cavaliers are heavy favorites again and will lean on that great defense to give them separation in this game. Had the Thunder come into this game with any kind of rest, I might lean their way but coming off a loss and having to play the next day means they very well could start slow and/or burn out in the end. Either way, the Cleveland defense will control this game and allow their offense to go on enough runs to give them a healthy margin. Take the Cleveland Cavaliers to cover the 12.5-point spread. Note: Don’t bet at a sportsbook that doesn’t appreciate your business! How can you beat a 100% signup bonus, fat reload bonuses AND a loyalty rewards program? Check out all the reasons a ton of our readers make GTBets part of their basketball betting arsenal! See our GTBets Review!