Lakers vs. Cavaliers Prediction, Odds and Best NBA Prop Bets for Wednesday, Jan. 28

LeBron James returns to Cleveland on Wednesday with the Lakers on a two-game winning streak after beating the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

Los Angeles won’t get guard Austin Reaves (ruled out for this game) back in the lineup from his calf injury, as he has not played since Christmas Day.

Meanwhile, the Cavs lost Evan Mobley in their win over the Orlando Magic on Monday, as he suffered his second calf injury of the 2025-26 season.

Cleveland has still won four games in a row, and it’s done it without guard Darius Garland (toe), who has been ruled out for this matchup.

Can the Cavs continue to climb in the Eastern Conference standings? Or, will Luka Doncic and the Lakers pick up a huge win on the road?

Let’s examine the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for Wednesday’s battle between two teams with title hopes this season.

Lakers vs. Cavaliers Odds, Spread and Total

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread

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

Moneyline

Lakers: +124
Cavs: -148

Total

235.5 (Over -110/Under -110)

Lakers vs. Cavaliers How to Watch

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 28
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Rocket Arena
How to Watch (TV): ESPN
Lakers record: 28-17
Cavs record: 28-20

Lakers vs. Cavaliers Injury Reports

Lakers Injury Report

Adou Thiero – out
Austin Reaves – out

Cavaliers Injury Report

Darius Garland – out
Max Strus – out
Evan Mobley – out
Luke Travers – out
De’Andre Hunter – probable
Sam Merrill – probable

Lakers vs. Cavaliers Best NBA Prop Bets

Lakers Best NBA Prop Bet

Luka Doncic OVER 33.5 Points (-112)

In today’s best NBA props for SI Betting, I broke down why Doncic is a great target against Cleveland:

Doncic is coming off a 46-point game in a win over the Chicago Bulls, and he's averaging 33.8 points per game this season while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Since Reaves went down on Christmas, Doncic is taking 22.3 shots per game over his last 15 games, averaging 33.9 points per game. So, he's going to be in play to clear this line against Cleveland based on his shot volume alone.

The Cavs are 13th in the NBA in defensive rating, but Doncic is a bit of a matchup nightmare for them because of his size and Cleveland's lack of wing depth due to Max Strus (foot) being out of the lineup.

This month, Doncic has seven games with 34 or more points and is shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3. If he keeps up that efficiency, he's certainly going to be tough to slow down on Wednesday night.

Lakers vs. Cavaliers Prediction and Pick

The Lakers’ defense has been an Achilles heel all season long, but it will get a little bit of a reprieve with both Garland and Mobley sidelined for this game.

The Cavs have won four games in a row, but they are still three games under .500 (13-16) against teams that are .500 or better this season. And, they are just 18-30 against the spread – tied for the worst mark in the league.

So, I like the Lakers in this spot as road underdogs, as they are 16-9 straight up on the road in the 2025-26 campaign.

Despite a strong 10-game stretch to get back into the top-five in the East, Cleveland is still outside the top 10 in the league in net rating during that stretch. The Lakers have not been an advanced metrics darling this season, but they have two of the three best players in this matchup in Doncic and James.

I think the short-handed Cavs are a risky bet to cover on Wednesday night.

Pick: Lakers +2.5 (-102 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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