Cavaliers vs Trail Blazers Picks and Predictions: Broken Blazers Fall to Garland, Visiting Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to the Pacific Northwest for a showdown against the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland's season has been disappointing after a solid showing in last year's abbreviated campaign. Now, they're without star point guard Damian Lillard, who has missed the last two games with an abdominal injury and is expected to be out for a few more.

Meanwhile, the Cavs have rebounded nicely after three straight terrible seasons following LeBron James' departure. The Cavs would be a playoff team if the season ended today.

The Cavs look to capitalize on a depleted Blazers roster to continue their postseason push. We highlight their odds at pulling it off in our free NBA betting picks for the Cavaliers vs. Trail Blazers on January 7 with tip slated for 10 p.m. ET.

Cavaliers vs Trail Blazers odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

The Cavaliers opened as 4-point road favorites with a total of 215.5. Lines moved slightly to Cleveland -4.5 with a 216 total at some shops at the time of this writing.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until tip-off and be sure to check out the full NBA odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Cavaliers vs Trail Blazers predictions

• Prediction: Cavaliers -4.5 (-110)
• Prediction: Over 216 (-110)
• Best bet: Cavaliers -4.5 (-110)

Predictions made on 1/6/2022 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Cavaliers vs Trail Blazers game info

• Location: Moda Center, Portland, OR
• Date: Friday, January 7, 2022
• Tip-off: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ROOT Sports North West, Bally Sports Ohio

Cavaliers vs Trail Blazers betting preview

Injuries

Cavaliers: Rajon Rondo PG (Questionable), Isaac Okoro SF (Out), Ricky Rubio PG (Out), Cedi Osman SF (Out), RJ Nembhard PG (Out), Collin Sexton PG (Out).
Trail Blazers: Larry Nance Jr. SF (Questionable), Damian Lillard PG (Out), Cody Zeller PF (Out), CJ McCollum SG (Out).
Find our latest NBA injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Cavaliers are 25-10-1 against the spread in their last 36 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Trail Blazers.

Cavaliers vs Trail Blazers picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Spread analysis

In a surprising development, the Cavaliers own a +5.1 scoring differential, which ranks at the very top of the Eastern Conference. The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are next at +4.1. They've spread the scoring around quite efficiently with no single player averaging 20 points a game, but eight averaging at least 11. 

Now, a couple of them - Ricky Rubio and Cedi Osman - are injured, but Cleveland could see a debuting Rajon Rondo filling in to help offset those absences. The veteran point guard was recently acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers and coach J.B. Bickerstaff said Wednesday that he plans on deploying Rondo for about 20 minutes per night.

Whether or not Rondo suits up on Friday, Darius Garland will be the driving force. After missing four games due to health and safety protocols, Garland returned to the rotation against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. While Cleveland took the loss, Garland netted 27 points and played over 35 minutes. He showed a bit of rust, shooting 35% from the field compared to his 47% mark on the year, and went just 3 for 10 from beyond the arc. Prior to the four-game absence, Garland had shot better than 50% in four straight and eclipsed his season average each time out.

On the opposite end, the Blazers are without their two most important players in Damian Lillard (abdominal) and CJ McCollum (lung). Even with Lillard in the fold, Portland hasn't performed at a high level for much of this season. The offense will have to run through Norm Powell and Jusuf Nurkic, instead. And while both have put together nice seasons, the team has very little depth behind them.

The Cavaliers have also put together a well-oiled machine on the defensive end, ranking behind just the Warriors and Suns in terms of defensive efficiency this season. 

With the bulk of Cleveland's difference-makers expected to take the court, the Cavs' (10-8 on the road) shutdown defense will have little trouble toppling the depleted Blazers.

Prediction: Cavaliers -4.5 (-110)

Over/Under analysis

Neither Portland nor Cleveland play at a breakneck pace. The Blazers average 100.1 possessions per game (18th in the NBA) while the Cavs slow it down a touch more at 99.6 (T-19). While this can serve as an indicator that we're in for a low-scoring game - especially with no Lillard in sight - it could be a mirage.

Both rank within the Top 15 in offensive efficiency, and while the Cavaliers have showcased a particular affinity for tight defensive play, the Blazers may have the worst defense in basketball at preventing scoring. It hasn't really mattered who's playing, either. In Lillard's last game, Portland allowed 139 points to the Lakers with LeBron accounting for 43 of them. This wasn't just a case of running into a Hall of Famer on a good night. Portland has allowed 120 or more points in four of their last five, and the Lakers, Hawks, and Mavericks each managed 130.

Teams have scored at will against the Blazers, and that should help tip this toward the Over. If that's not enough, one thing the Blazers do well is jack up a ton of threes. They take the fifth-most shots from beyond the arc and are successful at a 35.3% clip. The Cavs defend the perimeter very well, but Portland will be looking for volume, especially if they fall behind early. Unless they are exclusively launching bricks, there will be enough scoring to go around to hit the modest Over.

Prediction: Over 216 (-110)

Best bet

The Cavaliers are one of the NBA's most pleasant surprises this season, and while they aren't exactly a powerhouse, they match up very well against the Blazers. Adding Garland back into the mix only bolsters a well-balanced roster. If props set a scoring total below or at his season average due to his rusty play in his return to the lineup, that could take the place of this.

Portland has played relatively well at home (12-10 compared to a 2-13 record away from the Moda Center), but most of that success came earlier in the season. The Blazers are mired in their worst overall stretch of the schedule. They've gone 4-15 since November 24 and 3-9 at home in that duration. Those three home wins came against the Pistons, Hornets, and Hawks. The Cavs will put up a better fight and should easily cover.

Pick: Cavaliers -4.5 (-110)

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