A Battle for Eastern Conference Supremacy | Prediction | OSB
A Battle for Eastern Conference Supremacy
By Sam Batz
Tomorrow night, two powerhouse teams will face-off in a thrilling Eastern Conference showdown. The 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks (www.nba.com/bucks) are going up against the 3 seed Cleveland Cavaliers (www.nba.com/cavaliers). The Bucks have the best record in the NBA at 22-8, while the Cavaliers are just two games behind the league leaders at 21-11. Tomorrow night will be the third meeting between Milkwaukee and Cleveland, with the Bucks leading the series 2-0.
Milwaukee is led by their six-time NBA All-Star and two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis is the type of player that can completely change a game. The Cleveland defense will likely focus solely on slowing him down. Many teams have tried, but stopping Giannis is no easy feat. “The Greek Freak” is averaging 31.0 points, 11.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game. Even if Cleveland can stop Giannis, the rest of the Bucks roster is still full of talent. Milwaukee is averaging 113.1 points per game while only allowing 108.8 points to their opponents. In their last two meetings with Cleveland, Milwaukee held the Cavs to 98 and 102 points respectively. Cleveland will need to be at their best in order to beat Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Last year, Cleveland ended the season with a 44-38 record and were the 9th seed in the East. It was the first time since 2017 that the Cavs finished in the top 10 of the Eastern Conference. This year, Cleveland has continued to build on that success. The Cavs are a much improved team after acquiring players like Donavon Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland, and are in prime position to make a run come playoff time. They are led by Donavon Mitchell, who Cleveland traded the Utah Jazz for this offseason. Mitchell is averaging 29.3 points, 4.4 assist, and 3.8 rebounds per game. Jarret Allen has been a bright spot for Cleveland as well, averaging a double-double with 13.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game in his second year with Cleveland.
The Cavaliers will be out for revenge against Milkwauee tomorrow, after losing the first two games against the Bucks earlier this season. The Cavs were held under their season average of 110.9 points per game in both contests and failed to keep Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in check. Both teams are currently on a hot-streak. Cleveland has won their last four games while the Bucks have won their last two. However, someone’s winning streak is about to end.
It is difficult to determine who the favorite will be in this game. The last time Milwaukee and Cleveland played, the Bucks were a -4 point favorite. Cleveland has the best defense in the league, allowing only 104.4 points per game to opponents. However, Bucks All-Star Small Forward, Kris Middleton, has been upgraded to day-to-day and has a chance to play his first minutes of the season tomorrow night against the Cavs. Middleton will travel with the team to Cleveland but there is no guarantee he will play. If he does, the Cavs chances will surely diminish. The Bucks are 8-5 when playing away, while the Cavaliers are 15-2 at home. Tomorrow’s game will be the first time the Cavs play the Bucks in their home arena where they have been dominant all season.
Sportsbooks have Cleveland as a -1 point favorite over the Bucks tomorrow night. I like the Cavs in this one. They have an excellent record at home and will be spurred forward by the fact that they have yet to beat their Eastern Conference rivals. The Bucks have the best record in the league and the Cavs will be out to prove that they can run, and even beat, the best team there is. In a moneyline bet, I would take the Cavaliers. For an over/under bet, I would take the under. Both of these teams play excellent defense and I have a hunch that tomorrow’s game will have the air of a playoff contest. Both sides will be out to prove they are the best in the East, and will play lockdown defense similar to what fans are used to seeing in the postseason.
Against the spread (ATS), the Cavaliers have an overall record of 17-13-2, while the Bucks have an overall record of 17-12-1 ATS. There isn’t much to separate the two sides, and tomorrow’s matchup should be a tightly contested game from tip-off to the final horn.
The key to beating the Bucks is shutting Giannis down. According to Statmuse.com, Milwaukee is 11-2 when Antetokounmpo scores 30 or more points. The Cavs held him to just 16 in their first meeting, but still lost the game. It is by no means a guarantee to victory, but Cleveland’s chance of winning will increase tremendously if they lock Giannis down on offense and force him to pass the ball.
I predict that the Cleveland Cavaliers will beat the Milwaukee Bucks 110-107 in a thrilling matchup that will have fans on the edge of their seats.
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