Things are going from bad to worse for the Brooklyn Nets as they absorbed their 53rd defeat this season with a humiliating 34-point loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. The Nets will look for a change in fortunes later tonight when they square off with the Cleveland Cavaliers in an intriguing showdown at Quicken Loans Arena.
Can the Nets finally snap their losing skid tonight? Or will the Cavs pile more misery on Tony Brown’s squad? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this NBA matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of LA Clippers vs. Oklahoma City and Chicago vs. Houston.
Brooklyn Nets vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
When: Thursday, March 31, 7:00 PM ET
Line: Brooklyn Nets (+14) at Cleveland Cavaliers (-14); total: 211.5 – view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: FSOH/YES
Betting on the Brooklyn Nets (21-53)
Brooklyn’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the Nets crashed to their second consecutive defeat with an embarrassing 139-105 loss to Orlando on Tuesday. Aaron Gordon scored a game-high 20 points for the Magic as they earned their fourth consecutive victory over the Nets. It was another disappointing result for the reeling Nets who have now lost nine of their last 12 games.
The Nets will look to end their losing rut when they face the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight. For Brooklyn to pull off a major upset, it needs to improve on its play on the defensive end. The 139-point output by the Magic was the second-most points allowed in a non-overtime game this season by the Nets. During their current two-game losing streak, the Nets have been outscored by an average of 22.5 points with opponents scoring 124.5 per game and shooting at 59.4 percent.
With regards to their offense, the Nets are expected to ride the hot hand of Thomas Robinson. He had 18 points and 12 rebounds in that loss to Orlando. Also expected to contribute tonight is guard Sean Kilpatrick. He has scored in double figures in 10 straight contests. They will need to step up big time as leading scorer Brook Lopez is expected to sit out tonight’s ballgame.
The Nets are 1-9 SU and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.
What in the world is happening to Cleveland? The Cavs crashed to their third defeat in their last six games with a gut-wrenching 106-100 loss to the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. The Cavs had no answer for James Harden who scored 18 of his 27 points in the pivotal fourth quarter. It was another disappointing result for the Cavs who squandered a mammoth 20-point advantage in that defeat to the Rockets.
The Cavs will look to get their season back on track when they face the Brooklyn Nets tonight. Help is on the way for the reeling Cavs as LeBron James will make his much-awaited return to the starting lineup. The Cavs sorely missed James’ services in the game against Houston, especially in the fourth quarter where they were outscored by the Rockets, 35-16. The Cavs are 1-3 this season and 4-13 the last two when James doesn’t play.
James has been a vital cog in Cleveland’s success this season, leading the team not only in scoring (25.0 PPG), but also in assists (6.6 APG) and steals (1.4 SPG) as well. He will fancy his chances of extending that excellent form against the Nets as he has fared extremely well against them this season. James is averaging 24.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.0 steal in three meetings with the Nets this campaign.
The Cavaliers are 7-3 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 home games.
