The Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks go head to head on Monday night. Jason Kidd and the rest of his squad host the Nuggets after a five-game stretch on the road. They return to the American Airlines Center with three wins in five games. Meanwhile, the visitors try to keep the momentum going and secure a fourth-straight win. They have been impressive in recent days, winning games against the Warriors and the Clippers.

Check out this NitroBetting preview that takes a closer look at the event’s details, team and player statistics, NBA betting odds, trends, and our very own expert predictions.

Cavaliers vs. Trail Blazers Game Information

An MRI completed last night showed no significant damage to Larry Nance Jr.’s right knee ?

?: https://t.co/0RTslA6ncR

— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) January 7, 2022

• When: Friday, January 7, 2022, 10:00 PM ET
• Where: Moda Center at the Rose Quarter, Portland, OR
• TV: NBA TV
• Radio: WMMS 100.7 FM (Cavs) / Rip City Radio 620 AM (Blazers)
• Live Stream: NBA League Pass
• NBA Betting Odds: Cavs (-TBA) / Blazers (+TBA)

Why Bet on the Cleveland Cavaliers?

The Cavs are slowly turning into one of the season’s dark horses. They hold the No. 6 seed in the Eastern conference and get a shot at taking the No. 5 seed from the Sixers. Although there was a recent dip in their performance, the Cavs get the advantage with better performances.

The younger squad does not have the offensive power the Blazers produce. However, what they lack in this department, they make up for in defense. The Cavs hold their opponents to 102.6 points per game. This is the second-best record in the league today. The team’s work rate on defense is impressive, averaging 33.3% opponent three-point shooting (eighth) and 75.8% opponent two-point shooting (sixth) per game. Ultimately, they limit competitors to a 50.6% effective field-goal percentage (sixth) per game.

We rarely see the Cavs produce high-scoring games with an average of 107.7 points (19th) per game. However, we highlight the fact that the team begins to show shooting improvement. This includes a 53.4% effective field-goal percentage (ninth) and respectable two-point shooting at 53.8% (eighth) per game.

The Cavs’ Isaac Okoro remains unavailable for this game. We expect Lamar Stevens to fill in while the starting guard recovers. In addition, bench players Rajon Rondo and Cedi Osman are also going through injuries that will leave them watching by the sidelines.

Why Bet on the Portland Trail Blazers?

The Blazers are out of the playoff picture at the moment. They clutch the No. 12 seed at the Western Conference and have plenty of work to do to keep postseason hopes alive. Not having three of their starters available also makes it tricky for head coach Chauncey Billups to get out of the slump.

Numbers tell us that the Blazers heavily rely on offense. The team averages 109.0 points (13th) per game on 44.9% shooting (21st). They have respectable shooting numbers from the three-point line at 35.3% (12th). However, they have to do better from the shorter range to trouble the Cavs. The team currently averages 52.3% from the two-point range (14th).

Defensively, the Blazers might have a tough time keeping up with the Cavs in this one. The hosts allow 37.7% opponent three-point shooting (30th) and 55.2% two-point shooting (28th). They have to step up on this end of the court if they want to outperform the visitors on Friday night.

The Blazers have to push Anfernee Simons, Tony Snell, and Robert Covington to their limits to cover for a bruised lineup. Norman Powell and Jusuf Nurkic are the only starters healthy enough to suit up, while the aforementioned are second-choice names.

Cavaliers vs. Trail Blazers Betting Trends

• The Cavs are 2-3 in the last five regular-season road games (2-3 ATS).
• The Cavs are 2-2 in the last four regular-season games against the Blazers (2-2 ATS).
• The totals went under in eight of the Cavs’ last ten regular-season road games against the Blazers.
• The Blazers are 1-4 in the last five regular-season games.
• The Blazers are 5-0 against the Cavs in their last five regular-season games against the Cavs (5-0 ATS).
• The totals went over in four of the Blazers’ last five regular-season games.

Cavaliers vs. Trail Blazers Expert Betting Prediction

No one expected the Cavs to be part of the top six teams in the Eastern Conference before the All-Star break. However, the team has been exciting to watch in the last few months. Despite losing a handful of their games last week, the visitors still enter the game as favorites.

Meanwhile, the Blazers still struggle to gain traction with most of their key starters out of commission. Lillard is expected to take another week to recover together with McCollum and Larry Nance Jr. If the Blazers’ bench can step up and use home-court advantage to their strength, we might witness a close contest between the two. The hosts are more than capable of covering the spread while maintaining relatively decent winning chances.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at NitroBetting news. Stay tuned for more NBA game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.