NBA Saturday April 6th Cavs at Lakers Betting Preview
Seeding On the Line for Both Teams
There’s nobody catching the Celtics for the #1 seed in the East as they clinched that and the best record in the NBA weeks ago. Seeds 1-5 are still very much liquid though which makes the April 6th Cavs at Lakers betting matchup so important for Cleveland (46-31), who is within a game of 2nd place all the way through 6th place.
Los Angeles (45-33) looks destined for the play-in tournament as the #9 seed in the West, but they are still only 2 games back from the Suns for #6 which would avoid the extra games – important for an older team. The Lakers have played very well since mid-March, and oddsmakers have them as -4.5 favorites for Saturday afternoon’s tilt (3:30 PM ET, Spectrum / Bally Sports).
Why the Cavaliers Have Value at +4.5
#2 seed Milwaukee isn’t playing the best right now with three straight losses and a 4-6 mark over their last 10, but the main reason Cleveland hasn’t leapfrogged them yet is because they are lacking consistency as well. The Cavs have alternated wins and losses the last seven games, but the good news is that trend would have them in line for a win following a 122-101 defeat at Phoenix on Wednesday.
Playing their last game on Wednesday gives Cleveland the last two nights idle which is a positive in the midst of a five game West Coast road trip that wraps up against the Clippers on Sunday.
Having a couple nights off was also good for Donovan Mitchell, who has missed seven games since mid March with a nagging knee injury. Mitchell had 24 points in the loss to the Suns, but that was his best scoring output since February 14th. Jarrett Allen has been playing well with three 20+ games in his last five while Evan Mobley has gone for 20+ in four straight.
Why the Lakers Have Value at -4.5
Cleveland may be fresh, but the Lakers also haven’t played since Wednesday so they have had time to recuperate for the home stretch of the regular season as well. That’s important with Anthony Davis (knee) and Lebron James (ankle) continuing to be questionable on the injury report even though they’ve both played in 9 of the last 10 games.
The Lakers are finishing the year strong, looking like the Kansas City Chiefs of the NBA where the regular season really doesn’t matter but you turn things on during the playoffs. Los Angeles has gone 8-1 over their last 9 and bring a three game win streak into Saturday’s meeting.
Cleveland is 1-2 on their current trip to the West Coast but that includes a 29-point loss in Denver and a 21-point drubbing at the Suns – plus their win during that stretch came against Utah who is 19 games under .500. When the Cavs lose they lose big, which is what you like to see as a bettor – and they’re just 1-5 in their last six away games.
Free April 6th Cavs at Lakers Betting Pick
There are a lot of similarities between these two teams from each fighting for playoff seeding, both having the last two nights off, and their stars like Mitchell, James, and Davis being available. The thing that is too hard to overlook here is just how bad the Cavs have been on the road lately and the fact that the Lakers are red hot as well as 16 games over .500 at home.
Free Pick: Lakers -4.5
