Fresh off snapping their four-game losing streak with a dominant win over Utah, the Cleveland Cavaliers bring their league-leading offense to Portland where they'll face a Trail Blazers squad fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The matchup presents a stark contrast between the East-leading Cavs, who boast the NBA's highest offensive rating and deadly three-point shooting, and a short-handed Blazers team that will be missing key pieces Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams while potentially playing without Jerami Grant.
The last time these teams met produced fireworks in Cleveland with a 133-129 overtime thriller going to the home team, setting up what could be another high-scoring affair as the Blazers host the Cavs at Moda Center.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers prediction: who will win?
For tonight's Portland Trail Blazers vs Cleveland Cavaliers matchup, our predictive model gives the Cavs an 80% chance of defeating the Blazers.
Pre-game probabilities
Cleveland Cavaliers
Moneyline
Win %
80%
20%
Portland Trail Blazers
Cleveland Cavaliers: 80% win probability
- League-leading win percentage (57-14 record, .803 win rate)
- Elite defensive efficiency (7942 points against in 71 games, 111.9 per game)
- Dominant scoring output (8680 points scored, ranking 2nd in Eastern Conference)
Portland Trail Blazers: 20% win probability
- Poor overall record (32-40, sitting 12th in Western Conference)
- Defensive struggles (8217 points allowed, 114.1 points per game)
- Negative point differential (-228 points on the season)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model brings together insights from top NBA experts. Instead of searching through countless expert analyses online, you can rely on our predictions to capture the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing expert picks, data, and trends, while our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. These confidence levels are then averaged to generate an 'expert opinion' win probability—providing a data-driven reflection of the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NBA analysts..
| Portland Trail Blazers | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
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Portland Trail Blazers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers preview
The red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers are rolling into Portland's Moda Center with something to prove after snapping their four-game skid with a dominant win over Utah.
While the Cavs have been lighting up scoreboards with the NBA's best offense (122.3 points per game), it's their defensive resurgence that caught my eye in that Jazz game - holding Utah to just 36% shooting is no small feat.
Portland's young guns aren't going down without a fight though, having strung together an impressive four-game win streak before Boston cooled them off on Sunday.
The Blazers' injury woes continue to pile up - they'll be missing their defensive anchors Deandre Ayton and Robert Williams, which could spell trouble against Cleveland's dynamic offense.
Keep your eyes on Jarrett Allen, who's been a force for Cleveland lately - he dropped an efficient 18 points against Utah and could feast inside against Portland's depleted frontcourt.
The last time these teams met, Portland blew an 18-point lead before Cleveland escaped with a 133-129 overtime win, so there's definitely some unfinished business here.
Shaedon Sharpe's recent 23-point outburst against the Celtics shows he's ready to carry the offensive load for Portland, but he'll have his hands full against Cleveland's lockdown perimeter defense.
With the Blazers still clinging to playoff hopes - just 2.5 games out of the play-in spot - and Cleveland fighting for the NBA's best record, this cross-conference clash has all the makings of a compelling matchup.
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers form
Portland Trail Blazers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers head to head
Portland Trail Blazers
33%
Cleveland Cavaliers
67%
Mar 2, 2025
Cleveland Cavaliers
133 : 129
Portland Trail Blazers
Dec 1, 2023
Cleveland Cavaliers
95 : 103
Portland Trail Blazers
Nov 16, 2023
Portland Trail Blazers
95 : 109
Cleveland Cavaliers
Jan 13, 2023
Portland Trail Blazers
113 : 119
Cleveland Cavaliers
Nov 24, 2022
Cleveland Cavaliers
114 : 96
Portland Trail Blazers
Jan 8, 2022
Portland Trail Blazers
101 : 114
Cleveland Cavaliers
