There was a time when a Cleveland Cavaliers-Golden State Warriors matchup would be must-see television. After all, these two franchises have met in the NBA Finals in each of the last four seasons. It won’t happen this year as the Cavs have fallen off since LeBron James left for Los Angeles.

The Warriors are still the Warriors, though, which is why we see them laying such a huge number at home against one of the worst teams in the NBA.

NBA Point Spread and Betting Analysis

The Cavs enter Thursday at 19-59 overall and 36-40 against the spread. They’re a paltry 6-33 on the road, although they are 17-20-2 ATS. The Cavs are 12-5 ATS in their last 17 games playing on zero days of rest, so that’s a positive. However, they are just 4-9 ATS on Fridays.

The Warriors enter Thursday 53-24 and while they’re 28-11 at home, they are just 15-23 ATS in those games. However, they are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against opponents from the NBA Central Division and 13-5 ATS in their last 18 games against teams with a winning percentage under .400.

Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cavaliers have every incentive to tank and get the best possible pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They are playing like it as they’ve lost six straight and nine of 11. Outside of a small little stretch in February where they won five of eight games, they have just 14 wins in their other 65 contests this season.

This team is in the middle of a long Western road trip at the end of the season. They find themselves in a back-to-back situation after playing at Sacramento on Thursday. Considering that they had lost nine straight road games heading into that contests, they’re not going to be in optimal shape for this game.

The question is can they cover? The Warriors tend to play to the level of their competition, covering just four times in their last 13 against losing teams. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Cavs covered.

Golden State Warriors

The Warriors have had their rough patches this season but the team looks like they’re focused as the playoffs approach. Their latest game was against Denver – the team chasing them for the No. 1 seed in the West – and they flexed their muscle in that game. They ended up winning quite easily on Tuesday, showing what they’re capable of when they’re focused.

The question is how focused are they going to be here? The Warriors need to keep winning to lock up the No. 1 seed but they have a very soft schedule down the stretch. It would be surprising if they blew this with contests against New Orleans and Memphis – two of the worst teams in the West – to wrap up the season. At the same time, the Warriors have some ugly losses in the last month, including home losses to Phoenix and Dallas, the latter of which was a 35-point blowout. That was the last time they were favored by this much.

Don’t expect a Warriors loss here but don’t be surprised if they get a win inside this massive spread.