After several days of rest for both sides, the Atlanta Hawks (68-26 SU, 55-37-2 ATS) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (61-31 SU, 44-48 ATS) will be back at it for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday night.
ODDS ANALYSIS
Expect to see a really interesting series from the standpoint of watching the betting lines. We've already seen points where both Cleveland and Atlanta were favored in Game 1, though as of the writing of this article, the number has settled at the Hawks -1 with a total of 197.5.
INJURY REPORT
It's all about Kyrie Irving in this game for the Cavaliers. He didn't play most of Game 6 against Chicago thanks to a minor knee injury. Closing out that series in six and getting the five days off will clearly help the swelling go down and give him a better chance of playing and playing big minutes in Game 1 against the Hawks.
He's not a given to be in the lineup yet, but we would expect Irving to give it a go.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"When we make the game easy for us is when we're at our best, not out there overthinking. We played our cuts. That's who we are, basic fundamental basketball." – Hawks forward Paul Millsap on how Atlanta knocked the Wizards out of the playoffs
BETTING TRENDS
- The Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games played here at Phillips Arena.
- The Hawks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 home games against teams with winning road records.
- The OVER is 13-4 in Atlanta's last 17 games when playing on three or more days of rest.
KEY STATS
8.4: The number of turnovers per game which Cleveland forced in the series against the Bulls last round. That's an extremely low number. It should be noted that Chicago hardly turns the ball over at all, and the lack of possessions per game has a lot to do with that, but the bottom line is that Cleveland was -2.8 turnovers per game against the Bulls. They can't afford that to be the case against the Hawks, who thrived from points off of turnovers in the transition game in the regular season.
11.2: The number of offensive rebounds per game the Cavaliers averaged this season, including the playoffs. The Hawks have allowed 11.5 offensive boards per game. If Cleveland is getting second chances, we're going to see lower scoring games for sure in this series, and the fact of the matter is that Atlanta probably stands no chance to win any games with as efficient as the Cavaliers can be when at their best offensively.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The rest is clearly going to play in the hands of the Cavaliers in this one. They played in the more physical series in the last round, and they had more ailments that had to cure.
Assuming that Irving plays, Cleveland definitively has a team setup to win the Eastern Conference. If the Hawks aren't hitting their threes, something that they haven't consistently done all postseason long, they're as good as dead in Game 1.
Cleveland 106, Atlanta 89
BookMaker sent out the NBA odds for this Wednesday game before anyone else in the industry. The Hawks opened up at -1, while the total was introduced at 197.5. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, totals and spreads. Log in, and start gambling during the game now!
Access live betting from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneylines are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker right now! Bet on the NBA today as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks square off Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA. The matchup will be televised nationally on TNT.
