March 1, 2026, 7:17 a.m. ET

The Cleveland Cavaliers (37-24) and Brooklyn Nets (15-44) meet Sunday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Tip-off is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. Let’s analyze Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NBA odds around the Cavaliers vs. Nets odds and make our expert NBA picks and predictions for the best bets.

Season series: Cavaliers lead 2-0

The Cavaliers routed the Nets 112-84 in Cleveland Feb. 19 in the most recent meeting, covering as 15.5-point favorites as the Under (229.5) cashed. Cavs G Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points with 5 assists, G James Harden had 16 points, 9 assists and 5 rebounds with 3 steals, and C Jarrett Allen had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. F Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 14 points, while former Cavs draft pick G Ochai Agbaji had 13 points. The Cavs won the first meeting 131-124 Oct. 24.

The Cavs fell to the Detroit Pistons 122-119 in OT on Friday, covering as an 8-point underdog as the Over (226.5) cashed. Mitchell missed the game due to a groin injury, and Harden was out due to his fractured thumb. Allen led the way with 25 points on 10-of-12 shooting while adding 9 rebounds , 4 assists and a block.

Cleveland has dropped 3 of the past 4 games, while going 2-3 against the spread (ATS) in the previous 5 outings. The Over is 4-1 in that 5-game span.

The Nets were crushed 148-111 at the Boston Celtics as a 16.5-point underdog as the Over (209.5) cashed. Porter Jr. was a bright spot with 18 points, 2 3-pointers and 2 steals.

Brooklyn has lost 7 in a row, going 0-7 ATS in the span. The Nets have allowed 123+ points in each of the past 3 games, with the Over cashing in each, while the total has gone high in 8 of the past 11 contests. The Nets have lost by 11 or more points in 5 of the past 6 outings.

Watch the NBA on Fubo!Cavaliers at Nets odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 7:12 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): Cavaliers -600 (bet $600 to win $100) | Nets +425 (bet $100 to win $425)Against the spread: Cavaliers -11.5 (-115) | Nets +11.5 (-105)Over/Under (O/U): 222.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)Cavaliers at Nets key injuries

Cavaliers

G Keon Ellis (finger) questionableG James Harden (thumb) questionableG Donovan Mitchell (groin) outF Max Strus (foot) outF Dean Wade (ankle) out

Nets

C Nic Claxton (thumb) questionableG Egor Demin (foot) out

For most recent updates: Official NBA injury report.

Cavaliers at Nets picks and predictionsPrediction

Cavaliers 116, Nets 109

The Cavaliers (-600) will set you back 6 times your potential return, and there is never a reason to back such a huge favorite straight up, especially on the road. In addition, Cleveland is anything but a sure thing, even against the lowly Nets, without leading scorer Spida Mitchell, and, perhaps, Harden joining him on the shelf again, too.

PASS.

The NETS +11.5 (-115) is worth playing lightly against the banged-up Cavs.

Mitchell is averaging 28.5 points per game, while the Cavaliers are averaging 119.4 PPG. That means nearly a quarter of Cleveland’s scoring will be on the sideline in street clothes. The recently acquired Harden (24.5 PPG) could join him on the shelf, too, as he is trying to work through a fractured thumb.

The Nets are on an 0-7 ATS skid, and it has lost 5 of the past 6 games by 11+ points. However, Cleveland is too banged up to trust.

BET OVER 222.5 (-110) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most.

The Over has cashed in each of the past 3 outings for the Nets, allowing at least 123 points in the span. It has allowed 112 or more points in 11 of the past 12 outings, too.

For the Cavs, again, a major chunk of offense will be in street clothes. The Under cashed in the most recent game with the Nets when both Harden and Mitchell played. However, Cleveland still has a decent enough core to get well into triple digits against a defensively-challenged Brooklyn side.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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