The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets clash as they tip-off their respective seasons Wednesday night inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. They tip it off at 7:30 pm as the Cavaliers enter the season opener as a slim road favorite.

BetOnline has installed the Cavaliers as a slim 2 1/2 point favorite (-132).

Cleveland Cavaliers Betting Preview

The Cavaliers (0-0) showed they can compete last season and they surprised some people with the talent they put out on the floor. They overachieved last season and finished 51-31 and earned a berth into the playoffs before being ousted in five games in the first round by the New York Knicks. They have a nice starting lineup, and they have some players that can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. 

They are led on offense by surging point guard Darius Garland, who emerged as a true legit player last season for Cleveland. The 27-year-old broke out last season, as he averaged a career-high 28 points per game, and he also added 4.3 rebounds per contest. He is a true guard and playmaker, and he gets the offense going. 

The Cavaliers averaged close to 116 points per game and allowed 110 per contest last season. 

Brooklyn Nets Betting Preview

The Nets (0-0) are a team that is so hard to figure out because every season they have high expectations but, they can never piece it all together. Every season the expectations are high for the Nets, who seem to have been content with teasing their fanbase. The Nets are +112 per Betonline. 

They finished last season with a record of 44-38 for a seventh-place finish in the Eastern Conference. They were swept in four games by the Boston Celtics. They have seen Kevin Durant jet for the Phoenix Suns and most likely figure out what they finally have in Ben Simmons, who has just not been engaged the last several seasons and not available due to injury. 

Simmons will make this team go or he will slow them down. The Nets would love to see him revert to his All-Star form from a couple of seasons ago. When he is healthy and engaged, he can be a dangerous piece to this team, but he has been so inconsistent with his play. He needs to be the unabashed leader on this team. He only played in 42 games last season. 

Game Odds, Series Trends and Free Pick 

Dating back to last season, the Nets are 3-2 in their last five games and 2-3 in their last five games against the spread. Last season on the road, they were 22-18 against the number and the totals have gone over in two of their last five games and 18 of their last 41 games at home. The Cavs were 19-21 against the spread in road games last season and dating back to last season, the totals have gone over in two of their last five games. 

Cavaliers would love to build off last season's success and they get off on the right foot with a win over the Nets.