by Chuck Sommers
Friday, Jan 20, 2023
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland, OH
Where to watch: BSOH, NBCSBA
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Cavs -7
FanDuel: Cavs -6.5
BetMGM: NL
Caesars: Cavs -7
Season record
Warriors: 22-23
Cavs: 28-18
We’re nearing the halfway mark of the season in the NBA and it’s been quite the ride so far. Al McMordie is cashing hard at 22-15-0 in the last 30 days, while Doc’s Sports has also had a strong run of form as of late at 14-10-0 (+$3,000). If they’ve been killing it as much as they were in the first half, what does the second half have in store? The only way you’re going to find out is by staying locked on bigal.com and following what our champion handicappers are up to heading into the final 41 games. Trust us, you want to know.
Warriors - Cavs preview, prediction and analysis
The Golden State Warriors will be playing the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday, January 20 in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Golden State Warriors lost against the Boston Celtics last Thursday, January 19 in Boston, Massachusetts with a score of 121-118. The Golden State Warriors currently rank 2nd in the Pacific Division. Stephen Curry scored 29 points, Jordan Poole had 24 and Klay Thompson also had 24 before fouling out in overtime for the Warriors. The defending champions fell to 5-18 on the road this season.
“Disappointed that we didn't close the game, but I know we can do this,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Better now than in the playoffs.”
The Warriors have been playing .500 ball over the last 10 games and contrary to popular belief, they are not the most perfect team in the world even when they get healthy. Golden State has failed to cover in four of the last seven and are going to be significant underdogs in the near future. The Warriors were 6.5-point underdogs against Boston but still found a way to cover in the last two games.
As Curry continues to work his way back to form, it’s going to take some time for the Warriors to find theirs. While they may not be the true-look champions at the moment, there’s still some time for them to get their act together.
The Cleveland Cavaliers lost against the Memphis Grizzlies last Wednesday in Memphis, Tennessee with a score of 115-114. The Cleveland Cavaliers currently rank 2nd in the Central Division. Darius Garland led Cleveland with 24 points and 14 assists, Caris LeVert had 23, and Evan Mobley added 18 points and 15 rebounds.
“It was really fun out there,” Garland said. “The crowd was into it. We were into it. Everyone was competing at a high level. We just couldn’t get the result we wanted.”
The Cavs have won six of their last 10 but have alteranted wins and losses over the last eight games. This level of play can only be designed if Donovan Mitchell remains out due to his groin injury, but the hope is that Cleveland gets him back before too long. The fact they were able to go stride for stride with the Grizzlies without Mitchell, and only lose by one, is a great test for the depth of this group. But in order to be effective, they need Mitchell and Garland to run the backcourt.
"This is who we thought Caris was," Cleveland coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We know he is a capable scorer, but he's also a playmaker. I think he's starting to find some comfort and find a rhythm."
Prediction
The Warriors coming off a second night of a back to back doesn’t bode well for the champs. The Cavs have had an extra day to rest, albeit coming back from Memphis. The Warriors have covered the last seven meetings in Cleveland, likely dating back to the NBA Finals days, but that trend stops here. Cavs 110, Warriors 100
Betting trends
Warriors are 16-5 ATS on Friday night games the last 2 seasons.
Warriors are 5-16 ATS on the road this season.
Cavs are 16-7 ATS at home this season.
Projected starting lineup
Warriors:
PG: Steph Curry
SG: Klay Thompson
SF: Andrew Wiggins
PF: Draymond Green
C: Kevon Looney
Cavaliers:
PG: Darius Garland
SG: Donovan Mitchell
SF: Isaac Okoro
PF: Evan Mobley
C: Jarrett Allen
Don't miss our champion handicappers' free picks and expert basketball picks today. And if you enjoyed this Golden State Warriors - Cleveland Cavaliers prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our daily NBA projections and previews.
Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
