Sunday, March 12, 2017

Toyota Center

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The Cleveland Cavaliers travel to Toyota Center to play the Houston Rockets on Sunday, March 12, 2017. The opening line for this matchup has Houston as 4 point favorites.

The Cavaliers come into this game with an overall record of 42-21. They are 1st in the Central Division. They currently have a point differential of 4.1 as they are averaging 110.6 points per game while giving up 106.5 per contest. The Rockets have an overall record of 45-21. They currently are 2nd in the Southwest Division. They are averaging 115.1 points per game and surrendering 108.2, good for a point differential of 6.9.

Lebron James comes into this contest averaging 26.1 points per game while playing 37.6 minutes per night so far this season for the Cavaliers. He pulls down 8.3 rebounds per game and dishes out 8.8 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 54% while his free throw percentage is currently at 68%. Kyrie Irving averages 25.2 points per game in 35.2 minutes per contest this season. He averages 5.8 assists per contest and 3.3 rebounds per game for Cleveland. His field goal percentage is 47% for the year while his free throw percentage is 90%.

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James Harden averages 28.9 points per game while playing 36.4 minutes per contest this year for the Rockets. He grabs 7.9 rebounds per game and has 11.2 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 44% and his free throw percentage currently is at 85%. Eric Gordon averages 16.7 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 30.6 minutes per contest. He also averages 2.6 rebounds per contest and 2.6 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 41% and his free throw percentage is 83%.

Cleveland averages 110.6 points per contest this season which ranks them 4th in the NBA. Their average scoring margin is 4.13 and their shooting percentage is 47% as a team which has them ranked 6th. Behind the arc they shoot 39% which is good for 2nd in the league. They average 43.7 rebounds per game and 22.4 assists per game which ranks them 15th and 14th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 17th with 13.8 per game. The Cavaliers allow 106.5 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 22nd in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 37% average from behind the arc ranking them 16th and 24th in those defensive categories. Opponents average 43.8 rebounds a game which ranks 17th and they give up 24.6 assists per contest which puts them in 29th place in the league. They force 13 turnovers per game which ranks them 7th in the league.

Houston averages 115.1 points per game this year which ranks them 2nd in the league. Their average scoring margin is 6.86 and their shooting percentage is 46% as a team which has them sitting in the 11th spot in the league. Behind the arc they shoot 36% which is good for 15th in the NBA. They average 44 rebounds per game and 25.3 assists per contest which ranks them 10th and 2nd respectively. In the turnover department the Rockets rank 8th with 14.9 per game. The Rockets allow 108.2 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 24th in the league. They also allow a 46% shooting percentage and a 35% average from behind the arc ranking them 21st and 7th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 43.7 rebounds a game which ranks 15th and they give up 23.5 assists per contest which puts them in 24th place in the league. The Rockets force 15 turnovers per game which ranks them 22nd in the NBA.

The Cavaliers have an offensive rating of 113.9 and a defensive rating of 109.6. In terms of pace they average 96.5 possessions per 48 minutes and their effective field goal percentage is 54%. As a team they have a true shooting percentage of 58% and they shoot 3 pointers on 40% of their shots. Cleveland turns the ball over an average of 12.6 times per 100 possessions and they force 11.8 on the defensive end. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the season currently is 52%.

The Rockets rating on offense is 115.4 and they have a defensive rating of 108.5. They get 99.1 possessions per 48 minutes and they have an effective field goal percentage of 55%. As a unit they have a true shooting percentage of 59% and they attempt 3 pointers on 47% of their shot attempts. Houston turns the ball over on 13.2 out of every 100 possessions and their opponents average 13.3 turnovers per 100 possessions. Their defensive effective field goal percentage for the year is 52%.

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Trends

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 28-33-2 against the spread

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 35-28-0 against the over/under

Houston Rockets Betting Trends

The Houston Rockets are 38-28-0 against the spread

The Houston Rockets are 34-31-1 against the over/under

Cleveland Cavaliers Injuries

12/16/16 F Chris Andersen ACL out for season
03/10/17 G Kyle Korver Foot "?" Saturday vs. Orlando
03/06/17 C Andrew Bogut Leg out for season
02/14/17 F Kevin Love Knee expected to miss 6 weeks

Houston Rockets Injuries

03/11/17 G James Harden Ankle injured last game, probable Sunday vs. Cleveland

Josh's Pick: Take Houston -4

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