Suns vs Cavaliers

Cleveland leans on Darius Garland and a healthy Evan Mobley to protect Rocket Arena, with the Cavaliers trying to stabilize around .500 after an uneven stretch that’s recently swung from a blowout loss in Houston to a solid home win over San Antonio. Phoenix arrives on a four-game heater behind Devin Booker’s playmaking and the emergence of Dillon Brooks and Collin Gillespie, but the Suns’ backcourt and wing depth are compromised with Grayson Allen and Jalen Green sidelined and Ryan Dunn banged up, forcing extra minutes from role players on the road. Garland has quietly produced well against Phoenix and Mobley has already shown he can punish the Suns inside, while Cleveland’s overall home profile and size advantage tilt this matchup toward the favorite despite the Suns’ current momentum, so I’m backing the Cavaliers moneyline at -250 with a Grade B for solid win probability but only moderate value at this price. Supporting data on rosters, recent form, injuries and matchup history comes from current ESPN team pages, injury reports and StatMuse matchup splits. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/roster/_/name/phx/sort/position/dir/desc/phoenix-sunsare?utm_source=openai)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 10:00

Phoenix’s offense has looked far more dangerous during this four-game winning streak, with Booker, Brooks and Gillespie carrying a balanced attack, but they now see a Cleveland group that, when Mobley and Jarrett Allen are together, still prefers to slow games down, wall off the paint and win in the half court. Even with that Suns surge, both sides are missing important perimeter shooters and cutters (Allen and Green for Phoenix, Strus and Nance Jr. for Cleveland), which should trim some three-point volume and easy transition buckets, and last season’s meetings finished at 228 and 235 total points—both below this 235.5 line—even when the wings were healthier. Add in an afternoon tip that can sap early pace, Cleveland’s incentive to grind things down at home to control Phoenix’s transition game, and the slightly better price on the Under, and I’m leaning Under 235.5 at -105 with a Grade B- because the number is high but both offenses still have enough shot-making to occasionally blow past it. Supporting data on totals, injuries and player usage comes from ESPN box scores, injury reports and StatMuse matchup records. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/game/_/gameId/401585562/suns-cavaliers?utm_source=openai)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 10:00

Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen give Cleveland a clear rim and rebounding edge that can wear down a Suns front line built more on length and mobility, a dynamic that becomes more pronounced if Phoenix is again without Grayson Allen and Jalen Green and has Ryan Dunn limited, forcing smaller lineups to defend inside. While the Suns’ four-game win streak and Booker’s strong recent production against Cleveland make Phoenix a live underdog, the Cavs’ home-court edge, their ability to funnel the ball into Mobley and Allen in the half court, and Garland’s comfort orchestrating against this defense suggest a script where Cleveland builds a working margin and puts late pressure on the Suns’ thin perimeter rotation. That pushes me to Cavaliers -5.5 at -115 with only a Grade C+ because Phoenix’s current chemistry, Cleveland’s inconsistency and Booker’s history of big nights versus this opponent all raise the chances of a tight game or backdoor cover even if the Cavs prevail outright. Supporting data on injuries, matchup history and recent results is drawn from ESPN injury pages, team hubs and StatMuse splits. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nba/team/injuries/_/name/phx)) Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 10:00