NBA
Los Angeles Lakers vs Cleveland Cavaliers Odds, Tips and Prediction
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers play basketball on New Year’s Eve in California.
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LeBron James//Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Los Angeles Lakers play basketball on New Year’s Eve in California. The Cavaliers are the distant leaders in the Eastern Conference and have a 9-1 record from their previous ten games, whereas the Lakers currently stand fifth in the West and are on a mini purple patch of their own. This matchup will see current Lakers star LeBron James once again face off against the team with which he won the 2016 NBA Championship. It will be an exciting occasion, considering he has now entered his 40s.
SportsBoom has provided an exclusive preview with everything you need to know about both teams. This article shares an in-depth breakdown of their key players, head-to-head matchups, and our value bets for the game itself.
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Match Details: Los Angeles Lakers vs Cleveland Cavaliers
Date: Tuesday 31st December 2024
Start time: 6 pm local time (2 am BST)
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, California
Last meeting: October 30, 2024, Cleveland Cavaliers 134-110 Los Angeles Lakers
Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability
Los Angeles Lakers: 17/20 (1.85) – 54%
Cleveland Cavaliers: 1/1 (2.00) – 50%
Forecast Odds – Betting available on Stake closer to event
Head-to-Head Record
This exciting matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers has seen 124 regular season games. The Lakers have a favourable record, picking up 70 wins compared to the Cavaliers, producing 54 wins.
The recent head-to-head form indicates how close this fixture is. The Cavaliers have delivered three wins from their last five encounters, a slightly favourable record. Cleveland won the previous fixture earlier in the 2024/25 season by an astounding 24 points difference.
Last Five Matches
| Season | Date | Result |
| 2024/25 Season | October 30, 2024 | Cleveland Cavaliers 134-110 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2023/24 Season | April 6, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 116-97 Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2023/24 Season | March 25, 2024 | Los Angeles Lakers 121-115 Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2022/23 Season | March 16, 2024 | Cleveland Cavaliers 116-102 Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2022/23 Season | February 26, 2023 | Cleveland Cavaliers 114-100 Los Angeles Lakers |
How is the season so far for both teams?
Cleveland Cavaliers
- Record: 27-4
- Home Form: 17-1
- Road Form: 10-3
The Cleveland Cavaliers have the best record in the entire NBA and are the distant number one seed in the East. Their home form is nearly perfect, having only lost one game in Cleveland, but their away form is one of the best due to the organization losing on three separate occasions.
Their leading shooter is Donovan Mitchell, who averages 23.6 points per game. Although his numbers are slightly worse than in previous games, the Cavaliers are utilising him, their point guard, Darius Garland, and power forward Evan Mobley. The trio is all posting above 18.8 points per game, which is an essential factor in why they are one of the best teams offensively this season.
Mobley, in particular, has been a standout performer in rebounds alongside Jarrett Allen, averaging 8.9 and 10 rebounds per game, highlighting the efficiency in regaining possession in both defensive and offensive situations. Overall, Allen is 14th in the NBA in rebounds, whereas Mobley is 21st, but they're a key to the team’s success.
Evan Mobley//Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers
- Record: 18-13
- Home Form: 10-4
- Road Form: 8-9
After a week’s absence during the December schedule, LeBron James returned and has played a pivotal role in the Lakers' mini spell of form. The team has risen to the fifth seed in the West and is now one of the most informed teams in its conference.
Their shooting forward, James, turned 40 and is still playing at a high level. He missed the recent game against Californian rivals Sacramento Kings due to illness but is set to make a comeback in this historic clash against his hometown team, the Cavaliers.
James is complemented by Lakers power forward Anthony Davis, who is seventh and sixth in the NBA in points per game and rebounds. Davis' versatility has been a massive help to the roster, and both will play important roles in trying to stop one of the best teams in the league right now.
Value Bets
LeBron James: Over 25 Points, Over 7 Rebounds and Over 7 Assists: Despite LeBron James posting slightly lower numbers in points-per-game this season than his career best of the trademark 27-7-7 stat line, the 40-year-old still produces impressive numbers with 23.5 points per game. He posted yet another triple-double on Christmas Eve against the Pistons, but he will be as motivated as ever when facing the team he spent most of his career with. We predict that James will produce the goods, as he will have fire in his belly to again prove himself as one of the all-time greats.
Evan Mobley: Over 20 points and Over 7 Rebounds: SportsBoom predicts Evan Mobley will be up for the task on New Year’s Eve for the Cavaliers. Most of his games this season see the 23-year-old producing his scoring efficiency, and he is averaging over 3 points more per game in his fourth year in the league. His shooting has improved, and he remains a key player in accumulating rebounds, meaning he will be a significant threat to the Lakers. In his last ten games, he has produced four double-doubles in points-per-game and rebounds, highlighting an impressive run-in form.
Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers to Win
SportsBoom predicts the Cleveland Cavaliers will win this game, though it will be a closer encounter than the final score from their previous meeting. The Cavaliers’ roster has collectively made them a considerable threat in the league, and their last ten games have seen the team lose only once. Despite the Lakers’ upturn in form, the Cavaliers will spoil the party in Los Angeles and end the 2024 calendar year on a high.
Henry Cheal is a versatile freelance sports journalist with extensive experience in the industry. Henry has previously worked at the 2024 World Snooker Championship and earned a Multimedia Sports Journalism degree from UCFB in 2023.
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