The NBA on MLK Day has been a tradition since 1986, and there will be seven games on the NBA schedule on Monday, including the NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Phoenix Suns. Cleveland is 35-6 overall this season and sits first in the Eastern Conference standings, while Phoenix is 21-20 and 11th in the West. However, the Cavaliers have lost two of their last four, while the Suns are starting to heat up, winning five of their last six.
Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The home team is favored by 7.5 points in the latest Cavaliers vs. Suns odds, and the over/under is 236 points according to the SportsLine consensus. Before entering any Suns vs. Cavaliers picks, you’ll want to see the NBA predictions from the advanced computer 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 14 of the 2024-25 NBA season on a sizzling 136-99 roll on all top-rated NBA picks dating back to last season, returning well over $3,000. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen huge returns.
The model has set its sights on Cleveland vs. Phoenix. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several NBA betting lines for Suns vs. Cavaliers:
- Cavaliers vs. Suns spread: Cleveland -7.5
- Cavaliers vs. Suns over/under: 236 points
- Cavaliers vs. Suns money line: Cleveland -295, Phoenix +237
- Cavaliers vs. Suns picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Cavaliers vs. Suns streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)
Why the Cavaliers can cover
The Cavaliers are coming off a 124-117 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. Donovan Mitchell led the way with 36 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the victory, while Darius Garland contributed 29 points, six assists and five rebounds. Georges Niang also added a double-double (15 points and 10 rebounds) off the bench.
Cleveland effectively only went eight deep in the win over Minnesota, but Niang, Max Strus and Ty Jerome combined for a plus/minus of +43 when they were on the floor, while starters were -9 combined. The Cavs were 5-point favorites in the victory and are now 28-13 against the spread on the season. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why the Suns can cover
Despite having all-stars Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the roster, Phoenix has struggled to realize its potential as a contender in the Western Conference. However, the Suns have started to put it together over the last couple weeks and are only 1.5 games behind the Lakers in sixth to pull themselves out of an NBA play-in tournament position.
Beal (ankle) was held out of a 125-121 win over the Pistons on Saturday that gave the Suns wins in five of their last six. Durant (36 points) and Booker (35 points) carried an even heavier load with Beal out, and Nick Richards had 21 points and 11 rebounds off the bench to help make up for Jusuf Nurkic (illness) being held out. Beal is questionable for Monday while Nurkic has been ruled out once again. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Cavaliers vs. Suns picks
The model has simulated Suns vs. Cavaliers 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning Over the total, and it’s also generated a point-spread pick that hits over 50% of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Cavs vs. Suns, and which side of the spread hits in over 50% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Suns vs. Cavs spread you need to jump on, all from the model that is on a 136-99 roll on top-rated NBA picks, and find out.
