Even though it was a bump road for both to get to this point, the top-seed Atlanta Hawks (68-26 SU, 55-37-2 ATS) and the second-seed Cleveland Cavaliers (61-31 SU, 44-48 ATS) have both advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The fact that there will be six days from the point that the Cavs closed out the Chicago Bulls and five since the Hawks eliminated the Washington Wizards should help get both teams healthy again, but that clearly is an advantage for Cleveland.
BANGED UP CAVS COULD GET REAL HELP WITH DAYS OFF
The only thing that would have been better for Cleveland is if Washington and Atlanta had to play a Game 7. Still, these six days off are going to be a blessing for the Cavaliers.
Kyrie Irving was held to just 12 minutes on the court in Game 6 against the Bulls, and though LeBron James didn't ever really sit out at any point for anything more than routine rest in-game, he clearly looked hobbled at times.
Now comes good health, and for all of the struggles which the Hawks have had at the point guard spot with both Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroeder here in the postseason, getting back No. 2 should be a huge boost to Cleveland.
We're certainly more excited about the live betting prospects of the Cavaliers in this game rather than the pre-game betting opportunities. If Irving and James are flying around the court, there is no doubt in our minds that Cleveland is the better team by a country mile.
Take out Game 6 against Chicago, and Irving has averaged 21.3 points per game in these playoffs, making him the perfect Robin to LeBron's Batman.
ATLANTA'S THREE PARTY
The Cavaliers have really buckled down defensively over the course of these playoffs. Granted, the Celtics and the Bulls aren't exactly the greatest offensive teams on the face of the earth, but Cleveland has really done a great job limiting both teams to a total of 92.6 points per game, the best mark in the NBA.
What's worse for the Hawks is how well the Cavaliers have played defending the perimeter. Clearly, this series for Atlanta is going to have to be played from the outside, knowing that there aren't that many big bodies to bang around in the paint.
Cleveland though, has held teams to just 30.5 percent shooting from long range, the second best mark in the NBA, and it has conceded just 6.5 three-pointers per game, third to Golden State and Portland, both of which had to play against Memphis, a team with no outside game whatsoever.
The Hawks are shooting just 34.3 percent from downtown here in the playoffs, and they are averaging 9.9 triples per game. For a team which shot 38.0 percent in the regular season from three-point land, there are some real problems here.
If the Hawks come out firing on all cylinders and are knocking down some threes early, they are capable of sticking around in this series.
However, the signs are there that they won't be able to do so. Kyle Korver has literally turned into nothing but a three-point shooter, and he is only knocking down 35 percent from downtown, while Teague, who averaged shooting 2.8 threes per game in the regular season, is jacking up far too many long range shots now at 3.3 per game in the playoffs.
LeBron's teams have eaten teams like this for lunch over the course of his career, and live bettors should be very aware of the same possibility early on in this series.
The NBA betting lines for this Wednesday game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The Hawks opened at -1, while the total debuted at 197.5. 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 Cleveland Cavaliers and Atlanta Hawks will go down Wednesday, May 20, 2015 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA. The matchup will be televised live on TNT.
