- 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards: a Cavs team that keeps giving back leads, against a Wizards side on the last leg of a road trip
- 2 Cleveland Cavaliers: Mitchell is scoring, but 23 turnovers against Brooklyn is a warning
- 3 Washington Wizards: Trae Young and Anthony Davis have them at 2-1, with Dybantsa still sidelined
- 4 Free NBA Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards
- 5 About our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information changes
- 8 Your responsibility
- 9 Responsible gambling
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About visuals
Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards: a Cavs team that keeps giving back leads, against a Wizards side on the last leg of a road trip 
Cleveland led Brooklyn by 17 points with about four minutes left on Saturday and won by four, 125-121, after a 22-7 Nets run. Two nights earlier in Philadelphia, the Cavaliers led 69-45 at halftime and by as many as 29, then lost 114-106 after conceding a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter.
That’s two games and two collapses for a team that won 52 games last season and reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Washington, the opponent on Wednesday 28 October at 7:00pm ET at Rocket Arena, finished 17-65 and is now 2-1.
This game closes a three-stop road trip for the Wizards, who won in Chicago on Saturday and visit Charlotte on Monday before arriving in Cleveland. The Cavaliers host Minnesota on Monday. Neither team plays Tuesday, so there’s no back-to-back on either side.
Cleveland swept last season’s series 4-0, winning 130-126 in Washington in December and then 138-113 and 130-117 at home. Washington allowed 124.9 points per game that season, and the Cavaliers scored at least 130 in all four meetings.
No odds had been posted for this game when we wrote this. We expect Cleveland to be a clear favorite, and we think the late-game lapses are a concern for spread bettors more than for anyone backing the Cavaliers to win.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Mitchell is scoring, but 23 turnovers against Brooklyn is a warning 
Donovan Mitchell scored 32 in Philadelphia, 22 of them in the first half, and 22 in the win over Brooklyn. He averaged 27.9 points last season, and his first two games suggest nothing has changed about his role as the first option.
The frontcourt did its job in the home opener. Jarrett Allen scored 21 and Evan Mobley had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Cleveland won the paint 46-30. The Cavaliers shot 50.6% from the field and made 29 of 38 free throws.
The turnovers are what kept Brooklyn in it. Cleveland gave the ball away 23 times and went 16 of 38 from three, and Michael Porter Jr. (28 points) and Julius Randle (23) punished the empty possessions. A team that plays at the fourth-slowest pace in the league can’t afford to waste that many trips.
James Harden averaged 23.6 points and 8.0 assists last season, and his availability hasn’t been flagged on any injury report. Peyton Watson arrived from Denver in a summer trade, adding a wing defender who could see time on Washington’s scorers.
Last season ended with a 4-0 sweep by New York in the Eastern Conference Finals, so the regular season matters to a group that needs to show it can close. Cleveland ranks in the bottom third for offensive efficiency so far, which is a two-game sample that includes a second half in Philadelphia where little went right. Last season the Cavaliers scored 119.5 per game, fourth in the league, and the roster core is unchanged.
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Washington Wizards: Trae Young and Anthony Davis have them at 2-1, with Dybantsa still sidelined 
Anthony Davis scored 34 points with 12 rebounds in his Washington debut, a 128-116 win over Milwaukee in which Trae Young added 20 points and 13 assists. Washington lost 65 games last season and won its opener by 12.
Toronto brought them back down two nights later. The Raptors won 112-102 in Washington, Scottie Barnes posting 28 points and 14 rebounds, while Davis went 3 of 12 for nine points. Young had 22 and 12, and rookie Tre Johnson scored 20.
Saturday’s 124-120 win in Chicago was closer to the template the Wizards want. Young had 25 points and nine assists, Kyshawn George 22 and nine rebounds, Davis 19, and Champagnie 11 points with 14 rebounds. Washington held the Bulls to 43% shooting even with Caleb Wilson scoring 30.
The defense is the change worth noting. After three straight seasons in the bottom five for defensive efficiency, Washington sits mid-pack early on. That’s a three-game sample, and Milwaukee, Toronto and Chicago aren’t the strongest offenses the Wizards will see.
AJ Dybantsa, the No. 1 pick, has missed all three games with a sprained left ankle and is listed day-to-day. Without him, the probable starting five is Young, George, Bilal Coulibaly, Davis and Alex Sarr, and Wednesday will be its third road game in five days.
Probable lineup Cleveland Cavaliers: Not announced at time of publication (core: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen)
Probable lineup Washington Wizards: Trae Young, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibaly, Anthony Davis, Alex Sarr (unconfirmed; AJ Dybantsa day-to-day)
Free NBA Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards
Our prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers to win
We’re backing Cleveland to win at home. The Cavaliers swept last season’s series by an average of about 19 points, they’re at home with the same core that won 52 games, and Washington closes a road trip in its third city in five days. No price had been posted when we wrote this, and we’d only take it at 1.45 or longer.
Washington has improved, and the win in Chicago shows it can close games on the road. Davis’s 34 against Milwaukee and Young’s 20-plus scoring in every game give the Wizards enough to stay within reach if Cleveland’s turnover problem persists.
The Cavaliers have built big leads in both games so far: 29 points in Philadelphia and 17 against Brooklyn with four minutes to play. We expect them to build another one on Wednesday, and against a team with a 17-65 record last season, we think they hold it this time.
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