Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Prediction, starting lineups and betting tips | Jan. 3, 2024

The Washington Wizards (6-26) visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (18-15) on Wednesday, January 3. The Wizards have struggled this season as they continue to develop the talent at their disposal and await some internal development. Washington entered a rebuild during the summer, trading Kristaps Porzingis and Bradley Beal away, securing Jordan Poole in the process.

Cleveland, on the other hand, still has the talent to be a playoff contender. However, they're currently dealing with some injuries to some of their core talent, which has limited their ability to climb the Eastern Conference standings in recent weeks.

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Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Game details, prediction and betting tips

Game Details

Teams: Washington Wizards (6-26) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (18-15)

Date and Time: Jan. 3, 2024 | 7:00 p.m. ET

Venue: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Cleveland

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Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Preview

The Cleveland Cavaliers are missing Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Ty Jerome heading into their game against the Wizards. Garland and Mobley are core parts of the Cavaliers' starting lineup, and their continued absence is limiting the team's ability to be competitive at the highest levels.

The Washington Wizards will be waiting to find out whether Danil Gallinari is cleared to play, as he is currently dealing with lower back spasms. Outside of the veteran forward, Washington has a clear injury report and will likely have a full-strength rotation in place.

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Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Starting lineups

The Washington Wizards starting lineup could look like this: Jordan Poole, Tyus Jones, Deni Avdija, Kyle Kuzma, and Daniel Gafford.

The Wizards have plenty of offensive talent within their starting rotation; however, they are lacking legitimate defenders, and that will allow the Cavaliers to attack gaps in the half-court.

The Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineup could look like this: Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Dean Wade, Isaac Okoro, and Jarrett Allen.

Allen's rim-running and Mitchell's scoring will be huge weapons against a limited Wizards defense and should give Cleveland a strong chance of securing a win.

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Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Betting tips

Donovan Mitchell has odds of -125 to score under 31.5 points against the Washington Wizards. He is currently averaging 27.9 points per game but could have a big scoring night due to Washington's defensive struggles. He will be the best player on the floor during the game and could find scoring pockets whenever coming over screens.

Daniel Gafford has odds of -122 to score over 10.5 points. The impressive big man is currently averaging 10.8 points per game for Washington. However, matching up against Jarrett Allen won't be easy for Gafford, so he will need to go deep into his post moves if he wants to secure a big scoring night by his current standards.

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Washington Wizards vs Cleveland Cavaliers: Prediction

The Cleveland Cavaliers head into their game against the Washington Wizards as heavy favorites. They're -10 on the spread and -450 on the money line. Having Donovan Mitchell in their rotation gives them a huge advantage, as he is the clear-cut best player in the contest.

Washington will be relying on Jordan Poole's perimeter scoring and Kyle Kuzma's diversity. However, the Cavaliers should have too much talent for the Wizards to overcome and are a fair bet for adding another win to their season total.