How to watch the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans game tonight: Time, Streaming, Breakdown

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Oh man, what a great game to watch as a Cavs fan. The Cavaliers pulled out a massive win against the Hornets, getting revenge for their overtime loss. Offense was on fire, Darius Garland had a double-double. Donovan Mitchell had 30 for himself, and we saw the return of De’Andre Hunter dominance in a 139-132 win.
Now the Cavaliers (16-14) play another team that has yet to reach the 10 win mark in the New Orleans Pelicans (8-22). They should not be taken lightly though as they have recently had a resurgence in the season with a five game winning streak.
They have not let rumors of some big trades affect them in this run either. Zion has not played a ton of games yet but since his return the team has looked rejuvenated under interim head coach James Borrego.
The win against the Hornets was massive for the Cavs with Owner Dan Gilbert being reportedly very concerned and players like Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen being in trade rumors.
Watching last night's game, one of the few concerns should be centered around the defense. Up by as much as 19 in the fourth quarter, they only won by 7 in the end.
It was one win for the Cavaliers, but it felt like an earned win that could flip the season. Cleveland is still being patient with reigning Coach of the Year Kenny Atkinson despite the rough start.
Where to find the Pelicans vs. Cavs game tonight?
Channel: FanDuel Sports Network - Ohio
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Pelicans vs. Cavs Injury Report
Pelicans: Dejounte Murray (achilles) is out.
Cavs: Max Strus (foot) is out. Larry Nance Jr. (knee) is out. Evan Mobley (calf) is out.
Probable Starting Lineups
Pelicans
- Jeremiah Fears
- Trey Murphy III
- Herbert Jones
- Zion Williamson
- Derik Queen
- Darius Garland
- Donovan Mitchell
- Jaylon Tyson
- Dean Wade
- Jarrett Allen
Pelicans vs. Cavaliers predictions, odds, best bets
Odds: Cavaliers by 9.5
O/U: 244.5
Cavaliers 134 , Pelicans 125: Defense seems to be the question here. They can score as much as they want, but can the Cavs with Evan Mobley stop a team from scoring a ton.
New Orleans is among the worst defensive teams in points allowed in a game and are worse than the Cavs when it comes to rebounding, which is a rare occurrence this season. Cleveland has all the tools to go out and blow out the Pelicans if they can get their team together.
Cavaliers 2025-2026 Schedule
- Thursday, Dec. 25 @ New York
- Saturday Dec. 27 @ Houston
- Monday, Dec. 29 @ San Antonio
Chase Brownawell is a Northwest Ohio native who graduated as Valedictorian with a Bachelor's Degree from Full Sail University in Sports Broadcasting.
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