Cleveland Cavaliers 2024-25 Season Preview, Betting Odds

With the paranoia surrounding Donovan Mitchell's future with the franchise now in the rearview mirror, the Cleveland Cavaliers can press forward and follow up on their first Eastern Conference semifinals appearance since LeBron James departed back in 2018.

This 2024-25 season preview for Cleveland covers all betting odds heading into the upcoming campaign, with new head coach Kenny Atkinson now manning the sidelines as a fresh voice despite J.B Bickerstaff having just guided the team to the second round. 

Cleveland Cavaliers' 2024 Offseason Acquisitions 

Cleveland Cavaliers' 2024 Offseason Departures

Cleveland Cavaliers' 2025 NBA Championship, Eastern Conference, Central Division Betting Odds

Odds as of October 17, 2024 at FanDuel

It wasn't the headline-grabbing summer akin to other teams across the Association with splashy free-agent signings or blockbuster trades, mainly because the front office's largest priority was locking up the core of Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley - all of whom have since inked extensions. Bickerstaff's dismissal perhaps came out of left field, although five years is still an admirable length of time to be an NBA coach these days.

If it's not broken, don't fix it. As constructed, the Cavaliers have the offense, perimeter shooting, interior defense, and cohesion necessary to keep pace with the likes of the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Philadelphia 76ers, although the Boston Celtics remain in a tier of their own. 

Best Bet: Cleveland Cavaliers To Win Central Division, +200

A single game was all that separated the Cavaliers from the Bucks for the Central Division crown in 2023-24, so it doesn't require a gargantuan leap of faith to think Cleveland can make up such narrow ground and end Milwaukee's six-year streak of finishing on top. 

The road to the Finals still runs through Beantown, and as was on display in their 4-1 series loss to the eventual Larry O'Brien winners, the Cavaliers remain a few steps behind. In their defense, though, Allen and his double-double averages of 16.5 points and 10.5 rebounds weren't present for that matchup with the Celtics because of injury, so removing such production from the equation didn't do Cleveland any favors from the very beginning.

Boston is incredibly top-heavy and can beat the opposition in a variety of ways, but the one-two defensive punch of Allen and Mobley down low makes even the greats adjust their strategies, so the Cavaliers will need both bigs present and accounted for to see how they truly match up with the champions. For now, wagering on the outcome of the Central is where the true value lies with Cleveland, because anything beyond that is too much of a gamble. 

Cleveland Cavaliers' 2024-25 NBA Win Total, Make Playoffs Odds

Odds as of October 17, 2024 at FanDuel

The Cavaliers have won at least 53 percent of their games for three-straight seasons, and while the team's 48-34 record in 2023-24 was three fewer victories than the year prior, it ultimately paved the way to a more prosperous playoff run. 

Best Bet: OVER 48.5 Wins, -110

Mitchell, Mobley, and Darius Garland all missed at least 25 games, so if the goal here is for Cleveland to win just one more game to reach the OVER, when taking into account all of the man games lost due to injury, it's a logical bet to make. 

The schedule will be tougher with the top-half of the East being an absolute chore to get through, but if that aforementioned core is healthy, another 50-win finish is a realistic finish. 

Cleveland Cavaliers' 2024 NBA Cup Odds

Odds as of October 17, 2024 at FanDuel

The Cavaliers went a respectable 3-1 in East Group A during the inaugural in-season tournament, but failed to advance to the knockout stage after finishing 13 points behind the Knicks in point differential as one of the top second-place teams. They now have the second-best odds to emerge from East Group C behind the Celtics.

Cleveland Cavaliers' 2024-25 NBA Awards Odds

Odds as of October 17, 2024 at FanDuel

Best Bet: Evan Mobley For NBA Defensive Player Of The Year, +1400

Mobley finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2022-23, but failed to qualify last season after falling below the necessary games required for eligibility. Had he done so, there's no question the now 23-year-old big would have been in the running, as Mobley will likely be a top-five vote getter for this hardware for a majority of his career with the trajectory he's on.

He was a member of the All-NBA Defensive First Team in 2023, and was a major cog to Cleveland's seventh-ranked defense last season which allowed just 112.1 points per 100 possessions. Only eight other players have accumulated more blocks over the last three years than Mobley, who has played fewer games than three of those players. 

As of writing, all of Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, and Bam Adebayo all have superior odds, with Wembanyama the astronomical favorite at minus money. Those are a lot of elite defenders to move past, but Mobley can make it happen just as long as he suits up for 65 games. A DPOY will soon have his name on it, but it's only a matter of how much longer he'll need to wait. 

2024-25 NBA Team Previews, Betting Odds