- The Cavaliers are 23-4 and have the best record in the Central Division.
- Milwaukee is 14-11 and has the second-best record in the Central Division.
- These teams last played on Nov. 4, with the Cavs claiming a 116-114 victory.
One of the games on tap from Friday night’s NBA slate features the Cleveland Cavaliers squaring off against the Milwaukee Bucks. Our Cavaliers vs Bucks prediction foresees the league’s top team adding another “W” to its resume.
Cleveland Looks To Remain Dominant At Home
After a 122-113 loss to the Miami Heat on Dec. 8, the Cavaliers enter this divisional tilt riding the wave of a two-game winning streak, with victories against the Washington Wizards (115-105) and the Brooklyn Nets (130-101). Seven players scored in double figures in the blowout win against the Nets, including all five of the team’s starters. Evan Mobley led the pack with 21 points, knocking down seven of his nine shot attempts. He also grabbed five rebounds.
Donovan Mitchell added 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen chipped in with 12 points each. Brooklyn jumped out to a 7-0 lead, but the momentum was short-lived as the Cavaliers closed the quarter with a 37-10 run en route to a 72-40 advantage at halftime, making the rest of the game a formality. Cleveland — who leads the association in field goal shooting — shot 53.1 percent from the field and 39.9 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavaliers also recorded 33 assists on 43 baskets.
NBA Cup Champs Seeking Fourth Straight Win
Like their opponent, the Bucks have also been playing well following a pair of losses against the Atlanta Hawks and the Boston Celtics. Since those setbacks, the Bucks have produced wins in their last three regular-season outings and a 97-81 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup championship game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo paced Milwaukee’s offense with 26 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 assists. For good measure, he also tallied three blocks and two steals. Simply put, he was a matchup nightmare for OKC.
Damian Lillard finished with 23 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field and a 5-for-10 effort from 3-point range. Brook Lopez added 13 points and nine rebounds. The game was a competitive affair early on, with the Bucks clinging to a 51-50 lead at halftime. After the break, Milwaukee turned up its defensive intensity, outscoring the Thunder 46-31 in the second half, including a 26-14 edge in the third quarter.
Although the Bucks are a middle-of-the-road team across the board, they produced a solid defensive effort, holding the Thunder to 33.7 percent shooting overall and 15.6 percent from beyond the arc. With that in mind, points may come at a premium in this matchup.
Cavaliers vs Bucks Prediction: League’s Top Team Wins A Close One
In addition to having the best record in the NBA, Cleveland is a top-three team from a scoring perspective. They also have the ninth-best defensive rating as well. It is also worth noting that the Cavaliers have won six of their last seven games.
On the other side of the matchup, the Bucks got off to a rough start with a 4-9 record through their first 13 contests. Fortunately, this squad has overcome its early struggles, and in a big way, producing 10 wins across it’s previous 11 outings. While this should be a nip-and-tuck battle for most of the evening, look for the Cavaliers to notch their third win over the Bucks this season.
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