Who’s playing
Charlotte Hornets @Cleveland Cavaliers
Current records: Charlotte 7-26, Cleveland 30-4
How to watch
- When: Sunday January 5, 2025 at 6 p.m. ET
- Or: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse – Cleveland, Ohio
- TV: FanDuel SN – Charlotte
- Follow: CBS Sports app
- Online broadcast: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
- Ticket cost: $37.49
What you need to know
Hornets fans have better hope that the team plays a heck of a game on Sunday, because the odds are decidedly against them. They will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at 6 p.m. ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Hornets have a tough task ahead: They will enter the game with nine straight losses, while the Cavaliers will come in with nine straight wins.
The Hornets are heading into this one after bettors pegged last week’s low/sub-low at 215.5, but even that proved too high. They took a 98-94 hit in the loss column at the hands of the Pistons. Charlotte led 65-52 in the second half but could not maintain the lead.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers beat the Mavericks 134-122 on Friday. That makes two straight games that Cleveland has won by exactly 12 points.
Evan Mobley was simply spectacular: he recorded a double-double with 34 points and ten rebounds.
The Cavaliers worked as a unit and finished the game with 38 assists (they are ranked fifth in assists per game overall). This strong performance was nothing new for the team: they have now accumulated at least 25 assists in 13 consecutive games.
Charlotte’s loss dropped their record to 7-26. As for Cleveland, they have performed incredibly well recently as they have won 13 of their last 14 games, which has been a nice improvement to their 30-4 record this season.
While only the Cavaliers took care of their fans in their last game, both teams pleased bettors by covering the spread. Looking ahead, the matchup looks promising for the Cavaliers, as the team is favored by 15.5 points. This contest will be their 19th in a row as favorites (so far in that stretch, they are 13-5 ATS).
Keep an eye on the arc in Sunday’s game: The Hornets have made deep shots look easy this year, averaging 14.3 threes per game. However, it’s not like the Cavaliers are struggling in this department as they average 16.4. Given these competing forces, it will be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Odds
Cleveland is a big favorite with 15.5 points against Charlotte, according to the latest NBA Odds.
The punters were perfectly in sync with the betting community on this point, as the game opened with a 15.5 point spread and stayed there.
The over/under is 223 points.
See NBA Pick for every game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get Picks Now.
History of the series
Cleveland has won 6 of its last 10 games against Charlotte.
- December 7, 2024 – Cleveland 116 vs. Charlotte 102
- November 17, 2024 – Cleveland 128 vs. Charlotte 114
- April 14, 2024 – Charlotte 120 vs. Cleveland 110
- March 27, 2024 – Charlotte 118 vs. Cleveland 111
- March 25, 2024 – Cleveland 115 vs. Charlotte 92
- April 9, 2023 – Charlotte 106 vs. Cleveland 95
- March 14, 2023 – Cleveland 120 vs. Charlotte 104
- March 12, 2023 – Cleveland 114 vs. Charlotte 108
- November 18, 2022 – Cleveland 132 vs. Charlotte 122
- March 02, 2022 – Charlotte 119 vs. Cleveland 98
