The Cleveland Cavaliers are “California Dreamin'” of a better playoff spot when they visit the Los Angeles Lakers tonight.
Cleveland has won six of its past seven games to climb back up the Eastern Conference standings, and the recent return of center Jarrett Allen is stoking this late-season surge.
My Cavaliers vs. Lakers predictions see Allen posing a big problem for the Los Angeles defense, and our NBA picks like him to light up La-La Land inside.
Cavaliers vs Lakers prediction
Cavaliers vs Lakers best bet: Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 points (-125)
Jarrett Allen missed about a month with a knee injury, but he looked fantastic in his first game back last Friday.
The Cleveland Cavaliers center put in just 18 minutes against the Miami Heat, but he still went 8-for-10 from the floor with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Allen took the night off against Utah yesterday, the first of back-to-back road contests, giving him a full three days of rest and recovery before tonight's contest with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the second leg of a back-to-back and have major defensive issues inside. Their star-studded backcourt leaves DeAndre Ayton, Jaxson Hayes, and Maxi Kleber as middling options in the paint.
The Purple and Gold are left black and blue by bruising interior attacks like Cleveland, which ranks Top 4 in touches in the key. The Lakers have allowed 53 points in the paint per game this month and didn’t have an answer for Allen in their most recent run-in with the Cavs.
He finished 8-for-11 for 17 points in 24 minutes during a 129-99 blowout of L.A. in late January. All of Allen’s field goal attempts came inside the paint, and all but two were directly at the rim.
Allen is expected to see an uptick in minutes, and his player projections sit north of 12.5 points, with a ceiling flirting with 15.
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Cavaliers vs Lakers same-game parlay
As much as the Cavaliers need to keep rolling, the Lakers are caught in the middle of their own postseason push.
Los Angeles was able to take care of Washington last night, and Luka Doncic has fresh legs after serving a one-game suspension.
Doncic is back in the mix, playing the role of primary ball handler and dishing out dimes. Forecasts call for as many as nine assists against a Cleveland defense sitting 27th in opponent assist rate.
Cavaliers vs Lakers SGP
- Lakers -2
- Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 points
- Luka Doncic Over 7.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: Center of Attention
With a few days off since returning to play, Allen will see his minutes trend back toward his usual workload.
Boasting a high ceiling, projections call for as many as 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and a shot swat against a weak L.A. interior defense.
Cavaliers vs Lakers SGP
- Jarrett Allen Over 11.5 points
- Jarrett Allen Over 6.5 rebounds
- Jarrett Allen Over 1.5 assists
- Jarrett Allen Over 0.5 blocks
Cavaliers vs Lakers odds
- Spread: Cavaliers +2 (-110) | Lakers -2 (-110)
- Moneyline: Cavaliers +115 | Lakers -135
- Over/Under: Over 236.5 (-110) | Under 236.5 (-110)
Cavaliers vs Lakers betting trend to know
Los Angeles has come through as a moneyline winner in 15 of its last 17 games (+14.10 Units / 21% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Cavaliers vs. Lakers.
How to watch Cavaliers vs Lakers
| Location | Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA |
| Date | Tuesday, March 31, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 10:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FDSN-OH, SPECSN |
Cavaliers vs Lakers latest injuries
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