Over half the NBA is in action on New Year’s Eve, and an afternoon bout between the Suns and Cavaliers (3:30 p.m. ET on NBA TV) sees the Western Conference and Eastern Conference collide.
Phoenix, 19-13 on the year, has surprised many by remaining feisty in a brutal West race. First-year head coach Jordan Ott has his team sitting in the No. 7 spot in the conference. Kenny Atkinson’s Cleveland crew, on the other hand, is an eight seed out East and is struggling to justify offseason hype.
Below, we’ll break down a Suns vs. Cavs prediction and picks to consider for Wednesday's game. Make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money if you’re right.
Suns vs. Cavs Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
Wednesday marks the 124th all-time regular-season bout between the Suns and Cavs. With Phoenix leading the series 72-51, there’s a lot of ground for Cleveland to make up.
On the injury front, the Suns will be without SG Jalen Green (hamstring) and may miss SG Grayson Allen (knee), who’s doubtful. The Cavs list SF Max Strus (foot) and F Larry Nance Jr. (calf) as out.
Suns vs. Cavs Over/Under, Spread
The Suns enter Wednesday’s game as 6.5-point road underdogs, returning a 2.77x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Cavs are home favorites with a 1.4x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: Cleveland Cavaliers -6.5
- Over/Under: 234.5
- Game Winner Payout: Suns 2.77x | Cavs 1.4x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Suns vs. Cavs Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to get you prepared for Suns vs. Cavs.
- The Suns boast the NBA’s best against-the-spread record this season at 22-10. The Cavs, on the other hand, own the worst at 11-23.
- Phoenix’s +1.8 average scoring differential ranks 12th leaguewide.
- Defensively, the Suns are a top-10 unit in fastbreak situations (eighth) and at preventing assists (eighth).
- Cleveland produces the seventh-most points per game (119.4), but they’re 20th in overall shooting percentage (46.2).
- On the other end, the Cavs are 18th in scoring (117.3 PPG) and 23rd in the fastbreak (16.4 PPG).
Suns vs. Cavs NBA Picks, Stats for PrizePicks Today
Here are three top Suns vs. Cavs picks to target on Wednesday. Key PrizePicks player projections are headlined by SG Devin Booker, SG Donovan Mitchell, and PG Darius Garland.
Suns SG Devin Booker vs. Cavs Projection: 35.5 Pts + Rebs + Asts
- Booker averages a combined 36 points, rebounds, and assists this season. In seven games since returning from injury, that number is consistent at 35.8.
- The 11-year veteran’s 46.2% free throw rate is by far his personal best. His next-closest mark was 39.7% in 2019.
- Phoenix’s star player averages 9.0 rebound chances per game, putting him 20th among all guards with 10+ games played and logging 30+ minutes a night.
- Booker spends 29.5% of his time on the ball this year and nets 18.4 potential assists per 100.
Cavs SG Donovan Mitchell vs. Suns Projection: 33.5 Pts + Asts
- In year No. 9, Mitchell averages 35 combined points and assists.
- Despite taking a career-high 21 shots per game, Spida’s 62.6 true shooting percentage is a new best, trumping 2022 (61.4%).
- Mitchell is shooting a scorching 55.6% from 10-16 feet and an impressive 44.9% from 16 feet to the 3-point line.
- Per NBARAPM, Mitchell’s 2.0 potential assists per minute on ball are a new personal record.
Cavs PG Darius Garland vs. Suns Projection: 17.5 Points
- Garland nets 16.9 points per game. In his last 10 outings, he’s averaging 19.5 PPG while making 38.2% of his 3-point tries.
- During that 10-game span, Garland’s true shooting percentage is 57.6. For context, his figure for the entire season is 53.9%.
- Via databallr, Garland’s 24.4 shot attempts per 100 put him in the 81st percentile.
- Garland’s 19.7 points per 75 are a 75th-percentile mark.
Make Suns vs. Cavs Picks on PrizePicks
Suns vs. Cavs isn’t the only avenue basketball fans have to make NBA picks.
You can make your picks on PrizePicks and PrizePicks Team Picks and earn real money. Just pick players, predict More or Less on their projected stats, and cash in if you’re correct. With Team Picks, make predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 30 states.
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