Cavaliers vs. Nets Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Sunday, March 1

The Cleveland Cavaliers have dropped back-to-back games and would love to get back on track in a winnable matchup on Sunday against the tanking Brooklyn Nets.

Cleveland is coming off losses to Milwaukee and Detroit with both Donovan Mitchell (groin) and James Harden (thumb) out of the lineup. Mitchell has been ruled out once again on Sunday, but Harden is listed as questionable for the third game in a row. The former league MVP reportedly intends to play through a fracture in his right thumb.

Meanwhile, the Nets have dropped seven games in a row and are just a half game ahead of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference standings. Brooklyn is in full tank mode as it attempts to land a top pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and it lost badly to Cleveland (112-84) back on Feb. 19.

So, even if Harden is unable to go against his former team, the Cavs should be able to win this game. As a result, oddsmakers have set them as 11.5-point road favorites on March 1.

Let’s take a look at the betting odds, my favorite player prop and a prediction for this Eastern Conference battle on Sunday afternoon.

Cavaliers vs. Nets Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

Cavs -11.5 (-112)
Nets +11.5 (-108)

Moneyline

Cavs: -575
Nets: +425

Total

222.5 (Over -112/Under -108)

Cavaliers vs. Nets How to Watch

Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Venue: Barclays Center
How to Watch (TV): YES Network, FanDuel Sports Network (Local)
Cavs record: 37-24
Nets record: 15-44

Cavaliers vs. Nets Injury Reports

Cavs Injury Report

Donovan Mitchell – out
Keon Ellis – questionable
Dean Wade – out
Max Strus – out
James Harden – questionable
Riley Minix – out

Nets Injury Report

Nic Claxton – questionable
Egor Demin – out
Tyson Etienne – out
Chaney Johnson – out
EJ Liddell – out
Drake Powell – out

Cavaliers vs. Nets Best NBA Prop Bets

Cavs Best NBA Prop Bet

Sam Merrill 3+ 3-Pointers Made (-186)

With Mitchell and Harden out of the lineup the last two games, sharpshooter Sam Merrill has moved into the starting lineup and has been a featured player in the Cavs’ offense.

Merrill has taken 18 3-pointers over the last two games, going 2-for-8 against Milwaukee and 4-for-10 against the Pistons.

I love this matchup for the Cavs wing, as the Nets are 29th in the NBA in opponent 3-point percentage this season. In his last meeting with the Nets on Feb. 19, Merrill took just four shots (1-for-4 from 3), but he did have a six 3-pointer game against Brooklyn back in October.

If Harden sits, Merrill could be in line for another 30-plus minute workload, and he’s scored 34 points over his last two games while attempting double-digit field goal attempts in each matchup.

Cavaliers vs. Nets Prediction and Pick

The Cavs are a tough team to trust against the spread this season – they are just 26-35 – but I’m going to lay the points with them on Sunday.

Cleveland had a 28-point win with Harden and Mitchell playing limited minutes back on Feb. 19, and the Nets have been downright awful over their last 10 games.

Brooklyn has dropped seven games in a row, and it has a net rating of -13.0 over its last 10 games, which ranks 29th in the NBA.

If Harden plays, it would be a major boost to the Cavs offense, but there were some positive signs from Cleveland’s play on Friday against Detroit. The Cavs took the No. 1-seeded Pistons to overtime, losing by just three without Harden and Mitchell.

I think they make quick work of the Nets on Sunday, especially since they have a chance to pick up a game on the Knicks in the standings (New York is an underdog against the Spurs on Sunday).

Even though it’s constantly a major underdog at home, Brooklyn is just 11-14 against the spread in that spot in the 2025-26 season. I can’t back this Nets team – that would prefer to lose for draft purposes – to hang around with the Cavs on Sunday.

Pick: Cavs -11.5 (-112 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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