The Cleveland Cavaliers have already beaten the Philadelphia 76ers twice this campaign, so they have a chance to complete a regular-season sweep of the Sixers when these Eastern Conference squads face off this weekend. As for the 76ers, it’s looking like a lost season for them, but a win against the Cavaliers would give them a nice story to tell about an otherwise horrendous journey thus far.
Catch this game live on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 8:00 AM, Manila time
Away: Cleveland Cavaliers (36-7/15-5 Away)
Projected Starting Five:
- Darius Garland
- Donovan Mitchell
- Dean Wade
- Georges Niang
- Jarrett Allen
Missed free throws by Darius Garland late in the Cavs’ Thursday road game against the Houston Rockets led to a rare Cleveland loss via a score of 109-108. Despite the loss, there is no denying that the Cavs remain one of the best teams in the league. It’s already the fourth week of January and they still have fewer than 10 losses.
The defeat to Houston was more of a blip than a reason to be concerned for Cleveland, which is second in the league with 121.7 points per game and 11th with 111.6 points allowed per outing. The Cavaliers have already beaten Philadelphia twice this season and could complete a regular-season sweep with a win this Saturday. Beating Philly doesn’t seem to be so hard these days. Moreover, the Sixers are just 23rd in the NBA with an average scoring margin of minus-4.9. One thing to watch out for the Cavs is the status of Evan Mobley, who has missed the last three Cleveland games with a right calf strain.
The Cavaliers have won in all of their last three games against Philadelphia. Additionally, the Cavs are 5-5 against the spread in their last 10 games in the City of Brotherly Love.
Home: Philadelphia 76ers (15-27/6-13 Home)
Projected Starting Five:
- Tyrese Maxey
- Kelly Oubre Jr.
- Paul George
- Guerschon Yabusele
- Andre Drummond
The free fall continues for the 76ers. Philly suffered an embarrassing 144-109 road loss to the Denver Nuggets last Wednesday. Each of their last three losses was by at least 13 points. Is there relief in sight for the 76ers? That can be hard to tell, especially with Joel Embiid still sidelined by knee swelling.
But at least Paul George is healthy, and he’ll look to recover from an uninspiring performance, as he scored 11 points on 5-for-11 shooting against Denver. The biggest performer among the Sixers’ Big Three, Tyrese Maxey, had 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting in the Nuggets game. George and Maxey can be enough to make Cleveland sweat, but the Sixers are going to need more from the others, including from the likes of Kelly Oubre Jr. and whatever is left of Eric Gordon. There is also Guerschon Yabusele, who will look to build on his 22-point showing versus Denver.
The 76ers are 4-1 against the spread in their last five meetings with Cleveland. The total has also hit the Over in each of Philly’s last two outings.
Picks
Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers (-10.0)
Over/Under: Under (228.0)
