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  • The Thunder are 33-6 and have the best record in the Northwest Division.
  • Cleveland is 34-5 and has the best record in the Central Division.
  • These teams last played on Jan. 8, with the Cavaliers claiming a 129-122 victory.

One of the games on tap from Thursday night’s NBA slate features the Oklahoma City Thunder hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers. Can OKC earn a season split in our Thunder vs Cavaliers prediction?

Thunder Seeking Fourth Straight Victory

The Thunder enter this matchup on a three-game winning streak. This includes a 118-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. As per usual, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the leading catalyst for OKC. He scored a team-high 32 points on an efficient 12-for-15 effort from the field. He also tallied nine assists.

Jalen Williams finished with 26 points, six assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Cason Wallace added 18 points, five rebounds, and four assists for a Thunder team that shot 55.6 percent from the floor. OKC jumped out to a 16-point lead in the first half before Philly trimmed the deficit to four points in the final frame. Fortunately, Williams hit a 3-pointer that keyed an 8-0 run to help put the game away for the road team.

Cavaliers Look To Sweep Season Series Against Thunder

On the other side, the Cavaliers just concluded a home-and-home split against the Indiana Pacers with a 127-117 win on Tuesday night. Donovan Mitchell headlined a scoring effort in which four starters reached double figures. He scored 35 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and handed out three assists.

Darius Garland added 24 points and seven assists. Evan Mobley contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds, connecting on eight of his 12 shot attempts. Cleveland led by a 100-89 margin heading into the final frame. Indiana cut the deficit to six points before Garland sank a 27-foot 3-pointer to extend Cleveland’s advantage to nine points with 4:48 left to play in regulation.

The Pacers snapped the Cavaliers’ 12-game winning streak in the prior meeting between these franchises, and Cleveland returned the favor by ending Indiana’s six-game winning streak.

Thunder vs Cavaliers Prediction: OKC Wins A High-Scoring Affair

For the second straight season, the Thunder are one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Additionally, they have won nine of their last 10 contests. The Cavaliers are the top team in the Eastern Conference and have produced nine victories in their previous 10 games. In a matchup featuring two teams that are top-10 squads in scoring, this game’s outcome will come down to which team can get stops.

OKC is second in points allowed (103.4 PPG) and has the league’s top defensive rating (103.6 Points Per 100 Possessions). Given those trends, this group looks primed to get the “W” here and claim its 18th home victory.

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