Had the Cleveland Cavaliers (65-32 SU, 47-50 ATS) known just how bad overtime was going to be in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, they would have just walked off the court before starting the five-minute frame, handing the victory to the Golden State Warriors (80-18 SU, 55-42-1 ATS) and ‘under’ bettors.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Cavaliers were very unlucky not to cover Game 1 of this series, as there wasn't a single point in the game through the first 50 minutes in which they were trailing by more than the requisite six.
In this game though, after getting run off the court in overtime and perhaps not having one of their best players in Game 2, the oddsmakers have quickly put up a line of Golden State -6.5 alongside a total of 202.5, a point off of the 203.5 from Game 1.
INJURY REPORT
The big question is whether Kyrie Irving is going to be healthy enough to play in this one. He looked like he hurt his already ailing knee in the overtime frame, and his disgust in the moment almost suggests that he knows this could be the end of his season. We'll know more as the days go by, but that injury certainly doesn't look good.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We were able to scrap on the defensive end and gain rebounds, force them into tough shots. On the offensive end, we were able to spread everybody out, I was able to get to the free throw line a couple times, and the ball started to move… It opened the game up." – Warriors guard Stephen Curry on how the Dubs closed out Game 1 in overtime
BETTING TRENDS
- The Cavaliers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine games played when they have had at least two days of rest.
- The Warriors have covered five straight games against Eastern Conference teams dating back to the regular season.
- The UNDER is 10-3 in Golden State's last 13 games overall.
KEY STATS
0: The number of free throws which Stephen Curry shot in the first 50 minutes of Game 1. This is a man who is one of the best foul shooters in the NBA, and he has to do a better job of getting to the free throw line in this one.
13: The number of consecutive shots which the Cavaliers missed from the end of regulation through the first 4+ minutes of overtime. LeBron James couldn't get anything going in OT, and it shouldn't be surprising that the team just didn't find anything aside from his production. James scored 44 points and shot 18-of-38 from the field. The rest of the club scored 56 points and shot 21-of-56.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Cavaliers are in really big trouble right now, especially if Irving isn't on the court. LeBron is going to be playing this isolation game all night long, and we just can't see how he can do more than score the 44 he had in Game 1.
Remember too, that the Warriors didn't really play their best offensively the whole night, and Curry will have more effective games in front of him.
This series might effectively already be over, and Golden State might legitimately be playing its last home game of the season on Sunday night.
Golden State 105, Cleveland 92
The NBA betting lines for this Sunday contest were released first by BookMaker. The Warriors debuted at 6.5 with a total of 202.5. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
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 Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors will go down Sunday, June 7, 2015 at 8:00 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, CA. The game will be televised nationally on ABC.
