The No. 2 Cleveland Cavaliers (5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS) seek to reclaim homecourt advantage when they visit the No. 3 Chicago Bulls (5-3 SU, 5-3 ATS) Friday in Game Three of their Eastern Conference semifinal. You can watch the game live on ESPN.
After suffering a thorough beatdown in Wednesday in Game Two of their series, the Bulls are still feeling good about their chances after gaining a split and taking the homecourt advantage away from the Cavaliers. Chicago returns home where they’ve held their last four opponents to an average of 88 points while cashing the under three times.
A slight change to the Cavaliers lineup produced dramatic results for the Central Division champs and they squared their semifinal series with Chicago at 1-1 with a convincing 106-91 win Wednesday. Sure putting Tristan Thompson in the starting five helped free LeBron James to roam the wing but it was the return of LeBron’s signature headband that had him playing like a man possessed. His 33 points helped the Cavs cash the over for the first time in their last five playoff games.
KEY INJURY
Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert left in the third quarter with a strained left groin that could be serious. After riding a stationary bike he returned to the floor but coach David Blatt indicated the injury could limit him. “Time for one of those miracle 48-hour recoveries,” Blatt said.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“There wasn’t one possession where he wasn’t dominant. When he has that mindset, he’s the greatest player playing our game right now.” – Cavs guard Kyrie Irving on teammate LeBron James
BETTING TRENDS
- Cleveland is 3-1 ATS in its last four postseason games.
- Chicago is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 home games.
- The UNDER is 5-2 in Chicago’s last seven games overall.
KEY STATS
0: Chicago guard Derrick Rose has yet to shoot a free throw in the series and has gone three straight playoff games without attempting one.
33: Cavs forward LeBron James scored a playoff-high 33 points Wednesday hitting 13 of 29 shots while playing fewer than 40 minutes for the first time in six postseason games.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Just like Superman’s cape, LeBron James had his signature headband back on and the aggressiveness and dazzling plays returned to lead the Cavs to a victory on Wednesday. James performed like Superman scoring 33 points with eight rebounds and attacked from the start after a sub-par performance on Monday. James returned to his more familiar spot on the wing Wednesday after starting Monday’s game at power forward and the move immediately paid off. James matched his number of baskets from Game One by halftime.
The Bulls looked as if they were happy to settle for a split in Cleveland after taking Game One. Their play in the opening quarter did all the talking. Chicago fell behind by double-digits early and the deficit ballooned to 22 points in the first quarter. “They smashed us,” coach Tom Thibodeau said afterwards. The first quarter has set the tone for the Bulls and Wednesday they were unable respond like they did in Game One. They never recovered and Cleveland waltzed to the series tying win.
The Cavs will have JR Smith available for Friday’s game but could be without Iman Shumpert as the team’s depth will once again be tested. They rose to the occasion Wednesday with James Jones and Matthew Dellavedova playing quality minutes. Look for the Cavs to insert Tristan Thompson back in the starting lineup to make things tough on Pau Gasol and Chicago’s bigs. The Bulls need guards Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler to be more accurate on their outside shots than they were Wednesday. With those two struggling, the Cavs packed the middle and didn’t let Gasol get the open looks he did Monday effectively shutting down Chicago’s offense. Watch for the Bulls to make the adjustments and Rose will finally get to the free throw line helping the Bulls get the win.
Chicago 105, Cleveland 99
BookMaker will be the first to send out the NBA spread for this game. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time odds and player props during the game. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
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