LeBron James will return to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday night when his Los Angeles Lakers team takes on the Cavaliers. LeBron has his young Lakers squad back into the playoff mix in the Western Conference, but they still have plenty of room to grow. Cleveland, meanwhile, has been a mess ever since James left for LA, and have already fired head coach Tyronn Lue earlier this season. The Cavaliers come into this contest with an abysmal 2-13 record, while the Lakers bring a 9-7 record into this game.
Cavs vs. Lakers Odds
The Los Angeles Lakers are 9.0 point favorites over the Los Angeles Lakers in this game. The over/under is set at 220 total points for this game.
Spread: Lakers -9
Total: 220
Cavs vs. Lakers Head to Head
This is the first of two meetings between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers this season. The two teams split their two games against each other last season. The Lakers hold a 62-50 lead in the all-time series between these two franchises.
Cavs vs. Lakers Stats
The Cleveland Cavaliers are averaging just 103.3 points per game this season, which is near the bottom in the NBA. Jordan Clarkson is averaging 15.4 points per game to lead the team, and is doing it by coming off of the bench. Center Tristan Thompson is averaging a double-double so far this season, with 10.1 points and a team high 10.5 rebounds per game. Cleveland has been dreadful on the road this season, losing all eight of the games they have played.
LeBron James has been the biggest story for the Lakers so far this season. King James is averaging 28.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game to lead the team. Center JaVale McGee leads the team with a 62.3 field goal percentage on the season. The Lakers are giving up over 115 points per game which ranks near the bottom of the NBA.
Cavs vs. Lakers News
Shooting guard JR Smith will not play in this game and is no longer with the team, as the Cavaliers try to find a deal. Smith demanded a trade from the Cavaliers on Monday and it appears that the Cavs team officials will grant him his wishes. Cleveland star forward Kevin Love has played in just four games this season, and will be out for this contest.
The Los Angeles Lakers signed Tyson Chandler in the last two weeks in an effort to shore up their defense. Chandler is originally from the Los Angeles area and has playoff experience during his long career.
Cavs vs. Lakers Predictions
This game is going to come down to one player: LeBron James. There is no way that LeBron is going to take his team into Cleveland and leave town with a loss. Expect the Cavaliers to have a little extra motivation for this game as well, but James simply is too good to get beat. The rest of the Lakers squad is starting to improve, and they are clearly better than the Cavs. Bet the Los Angeles Lakers -9.0 over the Cavaliers.