The best dream that a live bettor can ask for in the NBA playoffs is a back-and-forth game which comes down to the wire. There might not necessarily be any wrong answers in Game 5 for the Chicago Bulls (56-36 SU, 46-46 ATS) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (59-31 SU, 43-47 ATS) for the prudent bettor once the ball gets tossed in the air.
NO LEAD TOO LARGE, NO LEAD SAFE
Go back and look at the game flow charts of Game 3 and Game 4 of this series. It's amazing how close these games have ultimately been.
In Game 3, the largest lead that either team amassed over the course of the game was eight points. In Game 4, Chicago led by 11 at one point, while Cleveland's biggest lead was eight.
What we find most amazing though, is the lack of huge runs that have taken place in this series.
The intervals at the timeouts in these games have been frighteningly close. Here's a look at Game 3's intervals where live betting was available.
6:03 1Q: 11-7 Chicago
2:40 1Q: 18-15 Cleveland
End 1Q: 24-16 Cleveland
8:51 2Q: 28-24 Cleveland
5:05 2Q: 35-30 Cleveland
2:39 2Q: 40-40 Tie
0:28 2Q: 49-47 Cleveland
End 2Q: 49-47 Cleveland
7:31 3Q: 61-57 Cleveland
5:07 3Q: 65-59 Cleveland
2:47 3Q: 68-66 Cleveland
End 3Q: 74-73 Chicago
8:25 4Q: 80-77 Chicago
7:18 4Q: 82-77 Chicago
2:24 4Q: 91-91 Tie
0:52 4Q: 92-91 Chicago
0:41 4Q: 93-92 Cleveland
0:33 4Q: 94-93 Chicago
0:03 4Q: 96-96 Tie
You literally could have bet the underdog 17 times out of 19 live betting situations in Game 1 and ended up winning your bet, and in the last of those situations with just three seconds left in the game, you could have gotten a nearly 3 to 1 price on the Cavaliers to win the game SU.
Now go back and look at that same timeout chart in Game 4.
5:50 1Q: 13-10 Cleveland
3:30 1Q: 18-16 Chicago
End 1Q: 28-26 Chicago
9:08 2Q: 37-29 Chicago
6:15 2Q: 37-37 Tie
2:34 2Q: 43-37 Cleveland
0:24 2Q: 49-45 Cleveland
End 2Q: 49-45 Cleveland
5:58 3Q: 57-57 Tie
3:35 3Q: 63-57 Chicago
End 3Q: 68-61 Chicago
8:53 4Q: 68-68 Tie
6:39 4Q: 73-70 Cleveland
4:03 4Q: 80-73 Cleveland
1:13 4Q: 82-79 Cleveland
0:41 4Q: 84-79 Cleveland
0:21 4Q: 84-82 Cleveland
0:18 4Q: 84-82 Cleveland
An even greater dream for live bettors! Of the 18 situations in which live betting was available at stoppages, betting the underdog team against the spread would have cashed literally all 18 times.
As you can tell, this is an amazing trend worth following as we continue down the road in this series. Pretty much any time you see a team go on a run, betting the opposite direction in live betting has paid off in a big time way.
KYRIE IN CRUNCH TIME
The biggest non-LeBron James factor in this series very well could be Kyrie Irving.
Chicago's big edge is clearly going to be in the painted area with Kevin Love not there to draw any of the bigs outside, and that leaves Irving to do a lot of work from the perimeter.
The bottom line is that he has just flat out shot the ball better at home than he has on the road here in the playoffs.
Against Chicago, Irving scored 51 points in two home games and 23 points in two road games. Against Boston, he put up 56 in two home games and 37 in two road games.
However, against the Bulls, Irving is going to be all the more important. Advanced statistics will tell you that Cleveland's two home games were far more impressive offensively than those two road games were, and we feel that Irving was a big part of it that factor.
Sure, James can take over a game, and he can do that to anyone in the NBA. But for our purposes, if you're looking for a live betting hint, following Irving very closely and watch his every move. If he is getting easier shots which are less contested, the Cavs could put on a show more like they had in Game 2 and less like we have seen for the rest of this series.
The NBA betting lines for this Tuesday game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The Cavaliers opened at -5. The total first came out at 191.5. Live wagering during commercials offers adjusted moneylines, totals and spreads. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The matchup between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers will go down Tuesday, May 12, 2015 at 7 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. The matchup will be televised live on TNT.
