Cavaliers vs Thunder Free Pick, NBA Free Picks, NBA Predictions 1/16/25

CLEVELAND @ OKLAHOMA CITY (OKC -2.5, 232.5)

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Cavaliers vs Thunder Free Pick, NBA Free Picks, NBA Predictions 1/16/25

CAVALIERS @ THUNDER 1/16/25

Cleveland takes on the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight in a rematch of a game played just eight days ago. The Cavaliers won 129-122 in Cleveland. The Cavs just beat Indiana 127-117 on the road on Tuesday. The Thunder have won three straight and beat Philadelphia 118-102 in their last game which was also on Tuesday.

Cleveland boasts an impressive 34-5 season record and has a firm hold on the top spot in the Central Division with a 12.5-game lead over the Bucks. The Cavaliers demonstrated their dominance against Indiana on Tuesday, taking the lead for the last time with 9:34 remaining in the third quarter. They then extended their margin to 11 by the end of the third quarter and kept the Pacers at bay till the final whistle. Donovan Mitchell emerged as the top performer for the Cavaliers with 35 points and nine rebounds.

This season, the Cavaliers are ranked second in the league in scoring offense, averaging a formidable 122.3 points per game. They are 18th in rebounding and fifth in assists. Mitchell has proven to be a standout player for the Cavaliers with an average of 23.1 points and 4.5 assists a game this season.

The Thunder have an impressive 33-6 season to show for their efforts. In their clash with the 76ers, the Thunder demonstrated their offensive skills with a shooting percentage of 55.6% and effectively capitalized on the 76ers' mistakes to secure the win. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is in the running for the league MVP again, led OKC with an impressive 32 points and nine assists.

The Thunder are no slouches either, ranking eighth in the league in scoring offense with an average of 116.2 points per game. They are 18th in rebounding and 15th in assists. Their defensive prowess is evident as they are second in the league in scoring defense. Gilgeous-Alexander is the top scorer for the Thunder with an average of 31.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and six assists per game.

The last time these two teams faced each other, the Cavaliers emerged victorious thanks to their high-powered offense. Now, with injuries forcing the Thunder to adopt a small ball lineup, it'll be interesting to see how they match up against the Cavaliers' powerful offense. Cleveland also has an impressive road record this season, boasting a 14-3 mark away from home this season.

Both teams have been strong against the number as of late. Cleveland is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games. Oklahoma City is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games and 6-0 ATS in its last six games at home.

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COACH RICK FREE PICK:

DONOVAN MITCHELL OVER 30.5 PRA

In a game of this magnitude, Mitchell is going to show up. In the game against OKC last week, Mitchell didn’t have to put up big numbers. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen led the way and Mitchell scored just 11 points and had 6 assists and 4 rebounds. Mitchell actually only cleared this number once (on Tuesday against Indiana) in his last five games. However, with tonight’s total at 232.5, the points have to come from somewhere and Mitchell averages 23.1 for the season. He also averages 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game giving him an average of 32.1 PRA.