Cavaliers vs Warriors Picks and Predictions: Mitchell Takes Advantage of Poor Dubs' Defense

At 4-7, It's been a struggle to begin the season for the mighty Golden State Warriors, who have aspirations of repeating as NBA Champions. Those dreams are beginning to be questioned, and it's fair to wonder how much of an impact Draymond Green's assault on his teammate Jordan Poole has impacted the team internally.

Conversely, the Cleveland Cavaliers have already established themselves as serious title contenders. With an 8-3 record, the Donovan Mitchell-led Cavaliers appear to be the real deal. 

Tonight's matchup is an intriguing one. Golden State needs to start turning this ship around soon, and a win against Cleveland would significantly boost its confidence and team morale. However, this is a tall task as it'll have to deal with a Cavs team who will be pushing not to drop two in a row. 

Find out the best options with our free NBA betting picks and predictions for the Warriors vs. Cavaliers on Friday, November 11.

Cavaliers vs Warriors best odds

Cavaliers vs Warriors picks and predictions

If the New York Knicks had a crystal ball and could see the wreck Donovan Mitchell has been laying on the NBA this season, they would've certainly paid whatever it took to bring him home. Of course, that never happened, and Mitchell is primed to become a full-fledged superstar for the Cleveland Cavaliers. 

Mitchell has fit in unusually quickly to Cleveland's system and has been playing the best ball of his career. In 10 games this season, he's scoring 31.9 points per game on 51% shooting. Next on the schedule is a team with an underwhelming defensive backcourt of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson. However, Andrew Wiggins will likely follow the 26-year-old veteran for most of the evening.  

To say the Warriors' defense has struggled is an understatement. The proud champions have always prided themselves on the defensive side of the ball, but that hasn't been reflected in the numbers, as they give up the second most points per game (120.6). That's combined with a 27th-ranked defensive rating. 

It can't be understated how good Mitchell has been this year from beyond the arc. He's been so good if you blink, you may think it's Curry in a Cavs uniform. Mitchell is the only player in the NBA who has connected on eight-plus threes in a single game this season multiple times.

Mitchell is delivering 34.2 points per game in his last six games on 56% shooting from the field and 49% from three. This one is likely heading toward a massive shootout between Curry and Mitchell.

My best bet: Donovan Mitchell Over 28.5 points (-115)

Cavaliers vs Warriors spread analysis

The year is still early, so there's no reason to hit the panic button yet in Golden State, but things are not off to an ideal start. The Warriors decided not to offer contract extensions to several key veterans on last year's championship team, instead deciding to put a ton of faith in their young corps. To date, that decision has proven costly. 

Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman, Moses Moody, and Jordan Poole have all underperformed, failing to meet expectations. In Wiseman's case, the former No. 2 overall pick, has a plus-minus of -69 in 10 games this season, Kumniga hasn't been much better at -59. 

Too often, Curry has to bail a team out that looks to be coming to grips with the fact Klay Thompson isn't the same player he once was. His backup, Poole, who exploded on the scene last season, has been putrid to start the year. He currently has the fifth-worst plus-minus in the entire league. 

The Warriors have a nucleus of young players that aren't producing, and it's unfair to expect them at their current state to beat a Cavaliers team who were caught sleeping at the wheel against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. 

Cleveland has been playing with a level of chemistry and focus that might be a tad too tough for Steph to overcome tonight.

Cavaliers vs Warriors Over/Under analysis

Whenever you get Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Steph Curry on the court together, you know the odds are there will be a ton of threes flying, and the scoreboard will be set ablaze. Combine that with the fact both teams are three games over .500 in O/U record, and we know where this one is going today. 

Words can't even describe how good Curry has been this year. He looks to be playing some of the best basketball of his career in the early going, which is remarkable for the 34-year-old. At 32.6 points per game, Curry trails only Luka Doncic in the entire NBA. His shooting numbers are impressive, connecting on 51% of his shots. 

We should expect a high-scoring affair as Curry will be pushing to try and secure a W. Unfortunately, they will have to handle Garland and Mitchell, who combine for 48.3 points per game. 

Both teams have a ton of firepower. This is headed for the Over. 

Cavaliers vs Warriors betting trend to know

Over is 6-1 in Cavaliers' last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Warriors.

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