A little over a week after their memorable 129-122 clash on Jan. 8, the two best teams across the NBA in the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder will take the hardwood once again on Thursday night with the hometown Thunder entering as the narrow 2.5-point betting favorites (-114).
Here's a spread, moneyline, total, and player prop expert pick for this highly-anticipated matchup on January 16, 2025, but one that's marred by a recent injury to a key starter.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Odds
Preview: Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 7:30 p.m. ET
| Team | Spread | Money | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Cavaliers | +2.5 (-106) | +120 | O 232.5 (-110) |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | -2.5 (-114) | -142 | U 232.5 (-110) |
Odds as of January 15, 2025 at Sportsbook
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Expert Pick
Cleveland Cavaliers ATS +2.5 (-106), ML (+120)
Even if it's only for a week or possibly a touch longer, the Thunder will once again embark on a stretch of games in which they won't have either of their big men as Chet Holmgren remains out of action with a fractured pelvis and now Isaiah Hartenstein is sidelined with a left soleus strain. Oklahoma City went 3-2 from Nov. 11-19 with both centers out of action, but ranked 28th in rebounds (37.8) and opponent's rebounds (50.8) during that stretch due to a lack of size in the middle.
That creates a window for the Cavaliers to take this highly-anticipated rematch on the road at the Paycom Center, especially with little resistance for the likes of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley around the basket. There were games when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 6-foot-6 was the tallest player in Oklahoma City's lineup, and that won't cut it against Cleveland's two-headed monster which is averaging a combined 19.2 boards and 2.3 blocks per contest.
The Thunder are in the midst of an eight-game winning streak both SU and ATS on their home floor, but those aforementioned five games sans Holmgren and Hartenstein were also in their backyard with three failed covers sprinkled throughout. The Cavaliers, meanwhile, have won six in a row SU and ATS away from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, and Thursday marks just the fourth time this season that they're a road underdog, having gone 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS under such criteria.
Hartenstein was arguably Oklahoma City's second-best player last Wednesday by finishing with a near triple-double of 18 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, so that's a ton of production now unaccounted for. Cleveland's No. 1-ranked offense is also stronger on the road (122.1 points per 100 possessions) than it is at home (120.6 points per 100 possessions), and with such a tight spread and plus-money odds on the moneyline, there's more upside in rolling with the visitors.
OVER 232.5 Total Points (-110)
The Thunder reached an UNDER two out of five times during that five-game run in November minus their bigs, but their offense still remained relatively strong throughout, even scoring as many as 134 points against the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Cavaliers have also hit an OVER in 10 of their last 13 games, as well.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Player Prop
Jarrett Allen To Record A Double-Double (-110)
Both Allen and Mobley recorded double-doubles in the last matchup with Oklahoma City, with Allen finishing with a team-best 25 points and 11 rebounds to lead Cleveland.
The 26-year-old five man has 22 double-doubles this season, ranking 10th overall in the Association. Now he's only notched one in three games since battling the Thunder, but in the two games he didn't, Allen fell one rebound short each time, so it was right in the crosshairs. The aforementioned absence of Hartenstein will help his cause a lot on Thursday.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Betting Trends
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has exceeded 32.5 points in six of his last seven games at home (35.7 points/game average).
- Darius Garland has exceeded 29.5 points + rebounds + assists in four of his last five games on the road (32.2 points + rebounds +.assists/game average).
- Jalen Williams has exceeded 1.5 steals + blocks in seven of his last nine games (2.7 steals + blocks/game average).
*all betting trends courtesy of Outlier
