Cavaliers vs. Lakers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Tuesday, March 31

The game of the night in the NBA takes place in Los Angeles, as LeBron James faces his former team – the Cleveland Cavaliers – with the Los Angeles Lakers in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Conference.

This is the second night of a back-to-back for both teams, as the Lakers beat the Washington Wizards on Monday while the Cavs took down the lowly Utah Jazz.

Both teams should be close to full strength on Tuesday night since the Lakers didn’t have Luka Doncic (suspension) on Monday and Jarrett Allen (knee injury management) rested on the front end of a back-to-back for Cleveland.

The Cavs still have a path to a top-three seed in the East, though they may prefer to finish in the No. 4 seed with how great Boston (No. 2 in the East) has looked since Jayson Tatum returned to action.

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Meanwhile, the Lakers are looking to lock up the No. 3 seed in the West, and they have a 16-5 record since the All-Star break. Doncic has played at an MVP level since the break, and LeBron James has fit in nicely as the No. 3 offensive option behind Doncic and Reaves.

Oddsmakers have the Lakers favored on Tuesday, but how should we bet on this matchup?

Let’s dive into the odds, a player prop to consider and my prediction for this battle between two title contenders.

Cavaliers vs. Lakers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Cavs +2.5 (-118)
Lakers -2.5 (-102)

Moneyline

Cavs: +110
Lakers: -130

Total

236.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Cavaliers vs. Lakers How to Watch

Date: Tuesday, March 31
Time: 10:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Crypto.com Arena
How to Watch (TV): Spectrum Sportsnet, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Cavs record: 47-28
Lakers record: 49-26

Cavaliers vs. Lakers Injury Reports

Cavs Injury Report

Not submitted yet

Lakers Injury Report

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Cavaliers vs. Lakers Best NBA Prop Bets

Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

Luka Doncic OVER 32.5 Points (-118)

Earlier today, I shared in SI Betting’s best props column why Doncic could have a big game after missing Monday’s matchup due to a suspension:

Doncic missed Monday’s win over the Washington Wizards after he was suspended for his 16th technical foul of the season, but he’ll be back in action on Tuesday against Cleveland.

The star guard is having an insane month of March, averaging 37.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from 3-point range.

He’s cleared 32.5 points in six of his last seven games (he scored 32 in the one game he fell short), including games with 40, 60, 43 and 41 points.

The Cavaliers are just 20th in the league in defensive rating over their last 10 games, and they don’t have a great one-on-one matchup for Doncic on their roster. I think the Lakers star continues his huge month with a signature scoring performance.

Cavaliers vs. Lakers Prediction and Pick

The Lakers have the third-best record against the spread as a home favorite this season (17-8), so I’m buying them in this game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Both teams are playing a back-to-back on Tuesday, and the Cavs are just 4-8 against the spread in that spot and have the worst ATS record (30-45) in the NBA this season.

Meanwhile, the Lakers will get Doncic (missed Monday’s game due to a technical foul suspension) back in action for this game. The All-NBA guard should be pretty fresh since he has not played since Friday against the Brooklyn Nets.

The Cavs should also get Jarrett Allen (knee) back in action after he sat out Monday’s win over Utah, but I like the Lakers in this spot at home.

L.A. is 25-12 this season at home, and the Cavs have gone just 26-22 against teams that are .500 or better. The Lakers also have the eighth-best net rating in the league over their last 10 games, going 9-1 straight up during that stretch.

Pick: Lakers Moneyline (-130 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.

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