We’ve got another exciting Eastern Conference matchup on Friday’s NBA schedule as the Cleveland Cavaliers will host the Washington Wizards. Cleveland is 21-4 overall and 13-1 at home, while Washington is 3-19 overall and 1-9 on the road. The Cavs have won 10 straight matchups with Washington, including by 31 points on Dec. 3. Cleveland is a league-best 18-7 against the spread (ATS) in the 2024-25 NBA season, while the Wizards are a league-worst 6-15-1 versus the spread.
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The Cavs are favored by 17 points in the latest Wizards vs. Cavaliers odds, per SportsLine consensus, and the over/under is 232 points. Before entering any Cavaliers vs. Wizards picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NBA game 10,000 times and has returned well over $10,000 in betting profit for $100 players on its top-rated NBA picks over the past six-plus seasons. The model enters Week 8 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 121-83 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning more than $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps has seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Washington vs. Cleveland. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Cavs vs. Wizards:
- Cavaliers vs. Wizards spread: Cavaliers -17
- Cavaliers vs. Wizards over/under: 232 points
- Cavaliers vs. Wizards money line: Cavaliers: -1961, Wizards: +1008
- Cavaliers vs. Wizards picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Cavaliers vs. Wizards streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Wizards can cover
The Wizards fell, 140-112, at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday, but even though they lost, the Wizards smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 20 offensive rebounds. That’s their most this season, and pounding the offensive glass could keep them competitive with Cleveland on Friday. Second chance opportunities would allow Washington to exploit Cleveland’s weak 3-point defense, as the Cavs rank 24th in 3-point percentage allowed.
Washington can also rely on its strength of attacking the lane, as just eight other NBA teams average more field goal attempts in the paint than the Wizards. That could cause problems for Cleveland, as even though it boasts a twin tower duo in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs are still just 23rd in blocks per game. Meanwhile, protecting the rim isn’t an issue for Washington, which ranks seventh in blocks per game. Additionally, Cleveland will be without Max Strus (ankle), while Mobley (ankle) is listed as questionable. See which team to pick here.
Why the Cavaliers can cover
Meanwhile, after a string of four wins, the Cavaliers’ good fortune finally ran out on Sunday as they took a 122-113 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Miami Heat. Despite the defeat, the Cavs had balanced scoring with seven players in double-figures. The starters scored 56 points, while the bench scored 57 points, and Darius Garland led the way with 23 points, along with five rebounds and five assists.
One only has to look at the teams’ respective spread records to see why Cleveland can cover as it boasts the NBA’s best spread record, with Washington having the worst. Additionally, the Cavaliers are 11-3 ATS at home, while the Wizards are just 3-7-1 ATS on the road. The Cavs also get to face an utterly depleted Wizards team that will be without Kyle Kuzma (rib), Malcolm Brogdon (hamstring), Corey Kispert (ankle) and Kyshawn George (ankle), who are combining to average nearly 50 points per game. See which team to pick here.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Wizards picks
The model has simulated Wizards vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Under, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits in almost 70% of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cavs vs. Wizards, and which side of the spread hits almost 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Wizards vs. Cavs spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 121-83 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
