Cavaliers vs Wizards Odds, Spread & Predictions (Feb. 6)
By Chris Amberley in NBA Basketball
Published:
- Cleveland is laying 3 points on the road in the Cavaliers vs Wizards odds on Monday
- Bradley Beal (foot) is questionable to play after missing Washington’s last game
- The latest Cavaliers vs Wizards odds are below, along with injury news and best bets
At this point, the Wizards (24-28, 12-11 home) must be getting pretty used to playing without leading scorer Bradley Beal. The three-time All-Star sat out his 21st game of the season on Saturday, and is danger of missing yet another contest on Monday versus the Cavaliers (33-22, 11-16 away).
To make matters worse, third leading scorer Kyle Kuzma is also on the shelf for Washington, which doesn’t bode well considering Cleveland brings the league’s top graded defense to town.
Online sportsbooks are certainly siding in the Cavaliers favor, opening them up as the road chalk in the NBA odds.
Cavaliers vs Wizards Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | -3 (-110) | -152 | OFF |
| Washington Wizards | +3 (-110) | +128 | OFF |
Odds as of February 5th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Get the DraftKings Sportsbook bonus code to bet on the Cavaliers vs Wizards game.
Cleveland is currently a 3-point favorite, up half a point from the opening line. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 pm ET at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, and will mark the second matchup of the season between these Eastern Conference foes.
Cavaliers vs Wizards Betting Trends
The Cavaliers took the first meeting between these two teams 117-107, but that was all the way back in October. Cleveland held Washington to over 6 points below their season average, forcing 18 turnovers along the way. That was a game in which both Beal and Kuzma were active, but it didn’t make a difference.
Beal’s latest ailment is a foot injury that officially has him questionable for Monday’s outing. Kuzma meanwhile, suffered an ankle injury in the Wizards’ loss to the Nets on Saturday, only playing 11 minutes as a result.
Thanks to their defeat against Brooklyn, Washington fell to 8-13 without Beal this season. They’ve dropped three straight without him and are just 1-5 in the last six games he misses.
Kyle Kuzma is out for tomorrows game against Cleveland with a left ankle sprain. Bradley Beal is listed as questionable with left foot soreness that also kept him out of yesterday’s game.
— Ava Wallace (@avarwallace) February 5, 2023
The Wizards have dropped back-to-back outings after ripping off six straight victories. They rank right around league average in both offensive and defensive rating, but trying to keep pace with the Cavs will be extremely difficult without two of their top-three scorers.
If Beal sits, that leaves a massive offensive load for Kristaps Porzingis to shoulder. He’s been up the challenge lately, averaging 35 points in Washington’s last two games.
Porzingis is in the midst of arguably the best season of his career, but if there’s a team that is equipped to handle him it’s Cleveland. The Cavaliers feature a pair of talented big men in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, who together have the size, speed and athleticism to slow down the talented Latvian.
NBA Defensive Rating Ranks
| Team | Rank |
|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 1 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 2 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 3 |
| Boston Celtics | 4 |
| Miami Heat | 5 |
Speaking of Allen and Mobley, the duo along with the rest of the Cleveland starting lineup all scored in double figures on Sunday, as the Cavs crushed the Pacers in Indiana. Darius Garland led the way with 24 points, while Donovan Mitchell added 19 points and six assists.
Cleveland enters play not only number one in defensive rating, but 11th in offensive rating as well. Only the Celtics, the NBA Championship odds favorites, have a better Net Rating than the Cavs, with Cleveland holding six of its past eight opponents below 106 points.
Cavaliers vs Wizards Predictions
That’s helped the Cavaliers cover in five of those eight outings, including back-to-back contests. Their average cover margin in those two games is 11.5 points, and over their last five victories Cleveland is covering by an average of 10.7 points.
The Cavaliers boast one of the league’s top home records, but their play on the road has been impressive as well. They boast the fourth highest defensive rating away from home and are a top-11 offensive team as visitors.
Swat ➡️ showtime 😤
Mobley gets the block and Allen throws it down for the @cavs on the NBA App!
➡️: https://t.co/0rrSPxOHD0 pic.twitter.com/lhjZhyWWIw— NBA (@NBA) February 6, 2023
The Wizards would be overmatched even if Beal and Kuzma were playing, but since at least one and potentially both are out, the advantage clearly lies with Cleveland. Not only has Washington struggled to win games without Beal lately, they’ve struggled to be competitive.
In the last six games without Beal, the Wizards have a minus-49 point differential. If he gets ruled out, the line is going to increase in the Cavaliers favor so you might as well lock in the value now.
Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers -3 (-110)
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
