Cavaliers vs Suns Odds, Spread & Predictions (Jan. 8)

Published: January 7, 2023 at 10:16 pm EST

Donovan Mitchell waving to fans — Jan 4, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) waves to fans during a timeout in the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 4.5-point road favorites when they visit the Phoenix Suns Sunday
Phoenix has lost five straight games
Read below for the Cavaliers vs Suns odds and predictions

The Phoenix Suns (20-20, 14-6 home) are in a tailspin out west.

They’ll try to put an end to their 5-game losing skid when they host the upstart Cleveland Cavaliers (25-15, 7-11 away), who kicked off their 5-game road trip with an L to the Denver Nuggets.

An undermanned Suns’ squad are 4.5-point home underdogs in the NBA odds, in a game that features a total of 217.

This will be the second matchup between these two teams in five days. Cleveland edged the Suns 90-88 on January 4, with Evan Mobley hitting a jumper with four seconds to play that stood as the winner.

It all gets underway Sunday (January 8) at 8pm ET from the Footprint Center. You can watch it live on NBA League Pass.

Cavaliers vs Suns Odds

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Cleveland Cavaliers	-4.5 (-110)	-190	Ov 217 (-110)
Phoenix Suns	+4.5 (-110)	+160	Un 217 (-110)

Odds as of January 7 at DraftKings. Claim the DraftKings promo code to bet on the Cavaliers vs Suns game.

After dropping their last game to the Miami Heat, Phoenix is in danger of falling under .500 for the first time this season. While they are 14-6 at home this year, they have lost three straight on their home court.

Cleveland sports fans: this is a perfect time to get in on the action, as Ohio online sports betting has officially been legalized, with retail and online wagering now live.

Cleveland Betting Analysis

After reeling off three straight, the Cavaliers dropped a 121-108 decision to the Denver Nuggets.

Donovan Mitchell, seventh in NBA scoring at 29 points per game, sat this one for rest, but should be available Sunday night. Mitchell last played against these Suns, scoring 20 points (but just 6-for-20 shooting), with nine assists and six boards.

His backcourt mate, Darius Garland, is questionable as he deals with a thumb injury. Garland potted 21 points and eight assists in the loss to Denver. Caris LeVert led the team in scoring with 22 points, adding four boards and three assists.

OH MY LEVERT pic.twitter.com/XyQTjQJ8UR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 7, 2023

Despite the loss, Cleveland remains the top scoring defense in the NBA, holding teams to 106.8 points per game. How dominant is that number? They’re the only team in the league whose mark is under 109 points.

The Cavs are in no rush on the court, as they are 30th in the NBA in pace. Even though they rank eighth in field goal shooting (47.9%) and 11th in three-point shooting (36.5%), they are only scoring 111.5 points per game, which ranks 25th.

Phoenix Betting Analysis

It’s been a precipitous fall for a team that held the NBA’s best record a year ago. This is the second five-game losing streak the Suns have had in just over a month. In fact, since Dec 5, Phoenix has just four wins in their last 16 games. They’re in eighth in the West.

They dropped a 104-96 decision to the Heat, the third straight game they posted a sub-100 score. In fact, their highest point total in a game during their streak has been 104 points.

Without Devin Booker, I’m not quite sure exactly what the Phoenix Suns are outside of a shell of their former selves. https://t.co/gJggWcmTl9 pic.twitter.com/Y84QJxetzs

— Espo  (@Espo) January 3, 2023

Already down Devin Booker for an extended period with a groin injury, the Suns could also be without fellow all-star Chris Paul, who sat out the second half of the Heat game with hip soreness. He’s questionable against the Cavs.

Backup point guard Cameron Payne (foot) and Cam Johnson (knee) are also out, leaving the Suns down four of their best guard/wings.

The lone bright spot for the Suns has been big man Deandre Ayton, who posted 23 points and 14 boards against Miami. He had a double-double in the last meeting between these teams, dropping 15 points and grabbing 18 rebounds.

Cavaliers vs Suns Betting Prediction

Both of these teams have been an unreliable wager of late: Cleveland is just 1-5-1 against the spread in their last seven games, while Phoenix is 1-4 ATS in their last five games.

Cleveland hasn’t been great as a road favorite, either, running a 3-5-2 ATS mark.

This is a great time to look at the total, where the Suns just can find their offense, against the best scoring D in the NBA. The Suns have gone under the total in their last four, and all signs point to a fifth.

Pick: Under 217 points (-110); 1.5 units to win 1.36 units
NBA Betting Record: 20-16 ATS, 1-1 ML, 3-3 o/u, 0-2 parlays; -1.06 units

Eric Rosales

Sports Writer & Editor

Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.

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