Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors (80-20 SU, 55-44-1 ATS) are clearly rattled right now. They find themselves down 2-1 in a series for the second time this postseason, and badly need to take Game 4 against the Cleveland Cavaliers (67-32 SU, 49-50 ATS) to keep a solid chance at winning the NBA title.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Warriors opened up Game 3 as the short underdog and closed as a two-point favorite. Now, with even more on the line in what might be a season-defining game, they have opened up at -2.
The total has held firmly at 194.5, knowing that the scoring heated up in the second half of Game 3 with 106 points after just 81 in the first half.
INJURY REPORT
The Warriors have tried to mix and match some guys of late in the NBA Finals, but even though men like David Lee are playing more often, it really just is a matter of Steve Kerr trying to make something work rather than replacing men due to injury.
The Cavaliers are continuing to use their same rotation, as they should after successive wins over Golden State in this series.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"We're just trying to make it tough on them. Those threes that Steph had in the fourth quarter, those are the same ones he missed in the first three quarters. We've just got to continue to learn… That last minute and a half, we have a lot to learn from." – Cavaliers forward LeBron James on shutting down the Golden State offense
BETTING TRENDS
- The Cavaliers are 15-3 ATS in their last 18 games played against Western Conference foes.
- The Warriors are 11-6 ATS in their last 17 road games against teams with winning home records.
- The UNDER is 5-1 in the last six games in this series, and if not for overtime in Game 1, it would be 6-0 in those six games.
KEY STATS
3: The number of turnovers which Curry had in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter on Tuesday night. Curry has had some tremendous moments over the course of this season, but if he wants to really prove that he was the deserving MVP this year, he really needs to come up big in clutch spots. Sure, he hit the shots to keep Game 3 alive, but the reason why Golden State needed so many threes down the stretch was because of his blunders with the basketball.
+13: Matthew Dellavedova's +/- while on the court for his 39 minutes of Game 3. Where in the heck did this kid come from? Dellavedova is just all over the court at the moment, diving for every loose ball, playing tight defense against Curry, and now, even taking some huge shots as well. The man they call "Delli" in Cleveland scored 20 points in Game 3, easily the most he’s scored in a playoff game in his career.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
The Cavaliers arguably could be up 3-0 in this series, and they have used their fantastic defense to hold down Golden State's elite offense. No team had held the Warriors under 60 points through three quarters in a game this season before Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Cleveland has now done it twice.
We wonder aloud though, if Golden State has cracked the code just a bit. The Dubs really have to ratchet up the pressure and play faster in Game 4 than they did in any of the first three games of this series and try to create more opportunities for frenetic play. If they can do that, they'll win this game and knot this series at two games apiece.
Golden State 101, Cleveland 97
BookMaker sent out the NBA odds for this Thursday game before anyone else in the industry. Golden State opened up at -2 alongside a total of 194.5. 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 Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers square off Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 9:00 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, OH. The matchup will be televised nationally on ABC.
