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Cleveland Cavaliers at Oklahoma City Thunder - Free NBA Betting Tips

The biggest game of the season so far - preview for the NBA Championships? We think so.

A meeting of the NBA's top two teams. OKC with a 33-6 record, 6 games ahead in the Western Conference host Cleveland with a 34-5 record, 6.5 games ahead in the East. It's a battle of this season's big boys.

The sportsbooks are finally taking Cleveland's title credentials seriously, take a look at our NBA Futures odds article for updated Thunder and Cavaliers Championship odds.

The bookies have OKC listed as narrow, 1.5 point favourites for this game, which makes sense given home court advantage.

Both teams are 4-1 in their last five games, OKC lost in Cleveland and Cleveland lost at home to Indiana - a result we tipped successfully.

Oklahoma are 9-1 in their last 10 games, 16-2 at home, on a W3 streak. The Cavs are also 9-1 in their last 10, 14-3 on the road, on a W1 streak revenge against the Pacers)

Before we make our decision about how we are tipping this mega game, let's see what the main NBA tipping sites have got to say on it.

(Our Player Prop Bet Tips are further down this page)

Dimers - forecasting a 117-114 win for the Thunder, and a mild feeling for Under 233
Clutch Points - Thunder -3.5
Pickswise - Thunder -2.5, SGA to score more than 30 points
Sportskeeda - Thunder win, Over 233.5
Betting Odds - Thunder on the moneyline
Sportsline - projecting a 116-111 win for OKC, tipping with a slight lean Thunder -2.5, and Thunder to win the game, but a stronger "moderate" tip on Under 232.5

We're with Cleveland for this game, being able to get odds greater than 2.00 on Cleveland for any game this season is, in our opinion worth taking. We are also going to back the Over market, the sportsbooks have shaved 3 points from this total in the last few hours, it is a shave too far in our opinion.

Free NBA Bet Tip - Moneyline: Cleveland at OKC

PicksSnap up the Cavs at 2.05Returns $20.50 for a $10 bet
  1. Tip: Cleveland Cavaliers to beat Oklahoma City Thunder2.05

Free NBA Bet Tip - O/U: Cleveland at OKC

PicksTake the Overs - Bookies have shaved too muchReturns $18.80 for a $10 bet
  1. Tip: Oklahoma City Thunder v Cleveland Cavaliers - Over (232.5)1.88

Last time they met

Full-time
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland

Pre Game Prediction

Prediction not available

Form

Last 3 Head to Head

OKC
122
CLE
129

CLE
120
OKC
128

OKC
108
CLE
105

Last 5

Cavaliers
DateOpponentResult
at
IND
W 117-127
vs
IND
L 93-108
vs
TOR
W 132-126
vs
OKC
W 129-122
vs
CHA
W 115-105
Thunder
DateOpponentResult
at
PHI
W 102-118
at
WAS
W 95-136
at
NYK
W 101-126
at
CLE
L 129-122
vs
BOS
W 105-92
Cleveland Cavaliers at Oklahoma City Thunder - Player Props Bet Tips

Alex Caruso (OKC) : Over 10.5 Points + Assists + Rebounds at odds of 1.81
Over in 16/25 when facing teams with winning records, averaging just a smidge under 16 in the process

Returns $18.10 for a $10 bet


Evan Mobley (CLE): Under 19.5 Points at odds of 1.87

Missed in three of his last five against top defense teams, 12.6 is his average in those games

Returns $18.70 for a $10 bet

Injuries

Cavaliers
PlayerPosDateInjuryStatus
Ty JeromeG-FIllnessThe Cavaliers have listed Jerome as Questionable for Thursday's (Jan. 16) game against the Thunder.
Thunder
PlayerPosDateInjuryStatus
Isaiah HartensteinC-FCalfThe Thunder announced that Hartenstein sustained a left soleus strain in Tuesday's (Jan. 14) game against the Sixers and that he will be re-evaluated in one week, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com.
Ajay MitchellGToeThe Thunder announced on Friday (Jan. 10) that Mitchell underwent a successful procedure to address a turf toe sprain in his great right toe. He will be re-evaluated 10-12 weeks.
Chet HolmgrenC-FHipHolmgren joined the Thunder for their four-game road trip that began Wednesday (Jan. 8) and is beginning to increase his physical activity, per Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. There is no clear timetable yet for his return.
Nikola TopićGACLTopic underwent a successful left ACL procedure Wednesday and will miss the 2024-25 season, Clemente Almanza of USA Today reports.
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