The Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Washington Wizards at Quicken Loans Arena on Tuesday.

The Wizards (21-28) own an 8-5 record across their last 13 games, as they're desperately trying to remain in playoff contention. A 21-28 record would indicate that reaching the postseason is an outlandish goal but Washington is just three games behind the Charlotte Hornets in eighth-place. That means a few more wins will get them right where they need to be, as they have just as much talent as anyone else battling for a playoff spot in the east. The one thing they need to work on if they want to get there is their defense, with Washington sitting 29th in points allowed. That's hard to believe when you consider some of the players they possess, as they're plenty capable of playing better on that end of the floor if they just played with a little more effort.

The Cavaliers (10-41) picked up a win over the Chicago Bulls in their most recent game, as that's a rare sight for Cleveland fans this year. In fact, the Cavaliers lost 18 of their previous 19 games before that win, as Chicago is one of the only teams they can beat at this point. There's simply not enough talent on this team and that hurts even more when you consider the fact that Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson are sidelined as well. Overcoming injuries is a battle for any team, let alone one who lost players like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. Much like Washington, Cleveland really struggles defensively. In fact, the Cavaliers currently rank dead-last in defensive efficiency, as they're not much better on the offensive end either.

These teams have traded off wins and losses in their last five matchups. With that said, the Cavaliers won six of their previous eight games over the Wizards headed into this season.