Garion Thorne gives you a preview, prediction and pick for tonight’s contest between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It feels like the Cavaliers just haven’t quite found their stride yet. Despite a 13-9 overall record, Cleveland has dropped three of its last four games and it ranks 12th in the NBA in net rating (+3.6) — not exactly the résumé you want for a team with championship aspirations.
Fortunately for the Cavs, they are massive 9.5-point favorites tonight on the DraftKings Sportsbook, taking on a Trail Blazers squad that has lost eight of its last 10, and is on the second night of a back-to-back set that started in another country. Needless to say, this is a matchup that a team of Cleveland’s quality should win handily.
Can the Cavaliers get it done? Let’s preview tonight’s game with the help of some of some odds and lines on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers prediction, preview
The tough element of the Cavaliers’ season to this point has been health and availability. Max Strus (foot) has yet to suit up for a single game in 2025-26, while Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen (finger) have been in and out of the lineup with their own ailments — Allen has already been ruled out for this evening’s contest. In fact, coming into Wednesday’s action, Cleveland’s All-Star quartet of Garland, Allen, Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell have only played 57 minutes together through 22 games. Unsurprisingly, the Cavaliers have looked like a juggernaut in that small sample, registering a 133.3 offensive rating and outscoring opponents by a jaw-dropping 31.0 points per 100 possessions. Cleveland seems like an organization that is currently valuing long-term success over regular season wins and seeding, but it really would help Kenny Atkinson to simply have all his key players on the floor at the same time.
However, if there’s been a silver-lining to the injuries, it’s been the emergence of sophomore Jaylon Tyson. The 20th pick in last year’s draft, Tyson has been forced to start 12 games for the Cavaliers this season. How has the 23-year-old responded? Well, Tyson is not only averaging a respectable 12.4 points per contest, but he’s shooting 48.1% from three-point range — the fourth-highest mark in the NBA among qualified players. Tyson is directly on the heels of his best performance of 2025-26, dropping a season-high 27 points and matching a career-high with 11 rebounds in a 135-119 win over the Pacers. Even when Cleveland gets healthy, Tyson has proved himself as a legitimate rotation player, and someone who will have an important role in the playoffs.
As for the Blazers, it all begins and ends with the play of Deni Avdija. Just days after posting a wild triple-double of 31 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists, Avdija put up another notable stat line in Tuesday’s narrow loss to the Raptors, setting a new career-high with 14 assists. The 24-year-old seems to be taking his game to a new level every night, and at the moment, I’d assume Avdija is a shoo-in for his first All-Star appearance in February. Portland should also be optimistic about Shaedon Sharpe, who looked like himself again playing in front of friends and family in Toronto. Sharpe netted 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting, after scoring just 18 points combined in his first two contests back from injury.
Trail Blazers vs. Cavaliers pick, best bet
This should be an uptempo contest, as both teams rank inside the top 10 in pace. On top of that, Darius Garland will be back in action for the Cavaliers, and the team’s averaging 120.7 points per 100 possessions with its point guard on the floor in 2025-26.