LA Lakers (10-16) at Cleveland (20-8)
When: Thursday, December 14th 2017
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
Time: 8:05 ET | TV: TNT
Opening Odds: Cleveland -9.5/219
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LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers continue to roll-over opponents as they try and catch the Boston Celtics atop the Eastern Conference standings, and they look to continue that with a Thursday night affair with the young Los Angeles Lakers. Cleveland has been victorious in 15 of their last 16 games after a rough start to the season and are now just three games behind the Celtics for the No. 1 seed. James tied a career high with 17 assists to go along with 25 points in a 123-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday to take the first two of a four-game homestand. The Lakers lost five in a row before taking the first two of a four-game road trip, but then dropped a 113-109 overtime decision to the New York Knicks on Tuesday. Lonzo Ball has been the model of inconsistency this season, and handed out six assists in 40 minutes on Tuesday, but hasn’t recorded a double-double in the past five games and has been held under 10 points in three of those. The Lakers have a brutal stretch coming up with Cleveland on Thursday, Golden State (twice) and Houston over the next four games. James averaged 30 points, eight assists and 6.5 rebounds in a pair of wins over Los Angeles last season.
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Ball steals all the headlines thanks in part to his dad Lavar, but fellow rookie Kyle Kuzma is coming through on a more consistent basis for Los Angeles, and he scored 10 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter on Tuesday to help force overtime. Kuzma was held to three points on 1-of-7 shooting in the opener of the road trip at Philadelphia before posting a double-double in a win at Charlotte. The former Utah Ute helped make up for an off night by second-year small forward Brandon Ingram, who was held to a season-low five points on 2-of-12 shooting in 41 minutes against the Knicks.
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James is not only averaging the most points since his 2008-09 season, but he’s on pace for his best assist total of his career. James enters Thursday averaging 9.0 dimes a game and is coming off his best season in that category (8.7). Power forward Kevin Love, who’s averaging a team-best 10.4 rebounds a game, has pulled down 11 or more boards in five of his last six games. He’s also eclipsed his scoring average (19.1) in five of his last seven contests including a 38-point outburst against Miami on November 28th. Shooting guard Kyle Korver has 32 points in the past two games, while hitting 10-of-17 three-point attempts. Cleveland will close out the homestand with Utah on Saturday.
BRONCOS VS COLTS PREVIEW AND FREE PICK
James is going to want to show-up these young kids form L.A. and he shouldn’t have a problem doing it. The Lakers are going to try too hard to impress LeBron and it will fail miserably. Cleveland in a route.
Pick: Cavaliers -9.5
- Lakers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Lakers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 vs. NBA Central.
- Lakers are 19-40 ATS in their last 59 Thursday games.
- Lakers are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games.
- Lakers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Lakers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Lakers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Cavaliers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
- Cavaliers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Cavaliers are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
- Cavaliers are 7-19 ATS in their last 26 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Cavaliers are 4-11-1 ATS in their last 16 vs. Western Conference.
- Cavaliers are 6-20-1 ATS in their last 27 home games.
- Cavaliers are 3-12-1 ATS in their last 16 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
- Cavaliers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. NBA Pacific.
- Cavaliers are 3-15 ATS in their last 18 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
- Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following a straight up win.
- Cavaliers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Under is 4-0 in Lakers last 4 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 6-0 in Lakers last 6 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Under is 8-1 in Lakers last 9 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 7-1 in Lakers last 8 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Under is 4-1 in Lakers last 5 overall.
- Under is 4-1 in Lakers last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Lakers last 5 vs. NBA Central.
- Under is 9-3 in Lakers last 12 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Under is 7-3 in Lakers last 10 road games.
- Over is 8-0 in Cavaliers last 8 vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
- Under is 7-1-1 in Cavaliers last 9 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 6-1 in Cavaliers last 7 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 5-1 in Cavaliers last 6 vs. NBA Pacific.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 overall.
- Over is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 Thursday games.
- Over is 8-2 in Cavaliers last 10 vs. Western Conference.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 after allowing 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 17-6-2 in Cavaliers last 25 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400.
- Over is 19-7 in Cavaliers last 26 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400.
- Over is 20-8-2 in Cavaliers last 30 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.
- Under is 7-3-1 in Cavaliers last 11 games following a straight up win.
- Over is 19-9-1 in Cavaliers last 29 home games.
- Over is 38-18-2 in Cavaliers last 58 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Cleveland.
- Over is 8-0 in the last 8 meetings.
- Road team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
