Cleveland vs Houston Prediction: Betting on the Three-Pointers

Prediction for the NBA match between Cleveland vs Houston, which will take place on December 19th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

Cleveland

The Cavaliers, who finished last season as the best defensive team in the league, decided to switch to a more offensive side this season. So far, the transformation has been complex. Cleveland has fallen out of the top ten in defensive rating and is only 24th in offensive rating, averaging 111.2 points per game.

J.B. Bickerstaff's team won the last meeting, snapping a three-game losing streak. 127-119 - it was a home win over Atlanta. Jarrett Allen was the most productive player for the Cavs, adding 14 rebounds to his 25 points. Donovan Mitchell added 22 points and 13 assists.

Houston

The Rockets just replaced Cleveland as the league's best defense. However, Houston has not been competitive enough to make that status a reality. In fact, the limits of the Texas team were demonstrated in the game against Milwaukee, where Giannis and his teammates scored almost 130 points for the Rockets - 119:128. Most importantly, Ime Udoka's team failed the rebounds 31-46.

Houston sits ninth in the East with a 13-10 record. But the team still has a lot of work to do to stay in the play-in zone.

Expert Betting Tips

Cleveland's defense is not as perfect as it once was. The Cavs concede more than 111 points per game, so Houston's total in the upcoming game seems under one. It's also interesting that the Rockets are in the top 3 in the league in three-point defense. At the same time, Cleveland is in the top three in perimeter offense. Houston's perimeter offense isn't great either, so we're not picking their win. We also like the Rockets' rebounding - the Cavaliers will be without Evan Mobley, which will limit J.B. Bickerstaff's team's potential on the boards.