Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers Prediction, 12/31/2024 Preview and Pick

Game: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Los Angeles Lakers

Date: Tuesday, December 31, 2024

Location: Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, CA

TV: Spectrum Sportsnet

Crypto.com Arena is the location where the Los Angeles Lakers (18-13) will attempt to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers (27-4) on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers took the court against the Nuggets and earned the victory with a final of 149-135 in their last contest. In relation to fouls, the Cavaliers finished with 17 and the Nuggets totaled 20 fouls. They also buried 15 of their 31 attempts from distance. Denver ended up shooting 77.8% when shooting free throws by converting 14 of their 18 attempts. On top of that, Denver pulled down 38 rebounds (8 offensive, 30 defensive) and had 7 blocks. Denver distributed 39 assists and had 8 steals in the game. In terms of the defense, Cleveland allowed the other team to go 56.4% from the field on 53 out of 94 shooting. They also recorded 40 dimes in this matchup while forcing 13 turnovers and getting 10 steals. Pertaining to rebounding, they earned a total of 38 with 9 of them being on the offensive end. When they shot from the charity stripe, the Cavaliers buried 18 of their 22 attempts for a percentage of 81.8%. Cleveland walked away from the contest with a 56.3% FG percentage (54 out of 96) and knocked down 23 of 48 3-point shots.

Donovan Mitchell is a guy who played a role in the game. Mitchell shot 58.8% from the floor and dished out 6 assists. He played 30 mins and also totaled 5 boards. He accumulated 33 points on 10 of 17 shooting.

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Cleveland will enter this game with a record of 27-4 on the season. They turn it over 13.2 times per contest and as a squad are committing 18.3 fouls per game. As a unit, Cleveland is pulling down 43.4 boards per game and has tallied 896 dimes so far this season, which is 8th in the NBA in terms of passing. The Cavaliers are shooting 40.9% on three-point shots (505 of 1,236) and 77.6% from the charity stripe. They average 122.7 pts per contest (2nd in the league) on 50.6% from the floor.

On the defensive end, the Cavaliers are able to force 15.9 turnovers per contest while drawing 19.1 fouls. They concede 37.5% from 3-point land and they are ranked 11th in basketball in PPG allowed (111.0). The Cavaliers defense is giving up a FG percentage of 45.6% (1,253 of 2,748) and they surrender 43.4 boards per contest as a squad. They are currently ranked 8th in the league in allowing assists to the opposition with 787 relinquished on the year.

When they last played, the Lakers went home victorious with a score of 132-122 against the Kings. In regard to how they rebounded, Los Angeles permitted Sacramento to snag 39 in total (13 on the offensive glass). They shot 27.5% from beyond the perimeter by shooting 11 of 40 and ended up shooting 11 of 15 from the free throw line (73.3%). The Lakers permitted the Kings to convert 50 of 98 attempts from the floor which left them with a shooting percentage of 51.0% in this matchup. Overall, the Lakers went 46 for 77 from the field which gave them a percentage of 59.7%. In reference to 3-pointers, Los Angeles knocked down 14 of 26 tries (53.8%). They were able to convert 26 of the free throw attempts for a rate of 78.8%. The Kings committed 26 fouls in this game which took the Lakers to the free throw line for a total of 33 attempts. They also turned the ball over 11 times, while getting 4 steals in the matchup. The Lakers snagged 29 defensive boards and 4 offensive rebounds totaling 33 in this contest.

Anthony Davis ended up being a major contributor for the Lakers in this game. He made 12 of 16 in this contest giving him a rate of 75.0%, and accounted for 15 rebounds. Davis totaled 36 points in his 39 minutes on the hardwood and had 8 dimes for this contest.

Los Angeles has a win-loss record of 18-13 this season. The Lakers are responsible for committing 16.4 fouls per game while shooting 78.4% from the free throw line. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 26.4 times per contest (12th in the league) and they are turning it over 13.6 times per game. Los Angeles has accounted for 3,471 pts this year (112.0 per contest) and they grab 41.2 boards per contest. When it comes to offensive execution, the Lakers are hitting on 47.4% from the field, which has them ranked 9th in the NBA.

The Los Angeles defense allows 36.3% on three-point shots (416 of 1,146) and opponents are knocking down 79.0% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have conceded 28.3 assists and 44.2 rebounds per contest, which is ranked 27th and 20th in the NBA. The Lakers on the defensive end are ranked 18th in basketball in PPG surrendered with 114.1. They are forcing their opponents into 14.4 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 47.7% from the floor (26th in the league).

Who will win tonight's NBA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Los Angeles

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