Cleveland dropped its season opener to the Bulls on Tuesday, but will look for a better result in Friday’s home opener when LeBron James and the Cavs host James’ former team, the Miami Heat.
SCHEDULING
James had a big game, as usual, in the series opener, scoring 25 points and five assists, to lead the team in both categories. He was also second in rebounds with 10.
James and company will return home for the first time on Friday to take on the Heat. This will already be the Cavaliers’ third game of the year as they’re set to battle Memphis on Wednesday. For the Heat, this’ll only be game two, after hosting Charlotte on Wednesday.
Both teams will have a day off heading into action which should help out an aging Heat team more than Cleveland.
INJURIES
Forward Chris Bosh is back after dealing with a blood clot in his lung, taking away half of his season last year. Bosh is a huge part of this team and, prior to the blood clot, was averaging 21.1 points per game, his highest figure since joining the Heat.
While Bosh will play, Amar’e Stoudemire and Hassan Whiteside are less certain. Both are questionable with Stoudemire dealing with a nagging knee injury and Whiteside overcoming an ankle sprain.
Meanwhile, in Cleveland, the Cavs are still without Kyrie Irving, but the team could be without him for a while as his return is uncertain.
KEY MATCHUP
The big key for the Heat will be holding down LeBron James. Over his career, James has averaged 28.3 PPG and, perhaps more impressive, 7.3 assists per game.
It doesn’t take a genius to know that the team’s production, particularly on offense, lives and dies with James. That’s even truer with Kyrie Irving on the shelf.
James is at his best when able to get his teammates involved. Mo Williams and Kevin Love both had very good starts in their first game of the year, combining for 37 points and 11 assists.
On the other side of the court, the return of Chris Bosh is key for this team. This is, of course, Dwyane Wade’s team, but Bosh provides the height Wade lacks and gives the team a dominant inside presence.
Health is the only question for Miami. So early in the year, the team will have Wade, Bosh and Luol Deng. Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside, amongst others, all put together strong years when on the court a year ago. The Heat’s depth provides a bit of a challenge for Cleveland, a team more built around James and a few key secondary players rather than depth up-and-down the roster.
ODDS AND PREDICTION
Even a season removed from his years in Miami, the storyline of this game is still LeBron against his former team.
Last year, LeBron and the Cavs split their four game season series with the Heat. Miami averaged 102.5 PPG in those four games, its’ eighth highest average score against anyone. Cleveland averaged 97 PPG in those four games.
While James is the best player on the court and, undoubtedly, gives the Cavaliers an edge, the biggest advantage is the court. Cleveland was nearly unbeatable at home last year, going 31-10 and was just barely a .500+ team on the road. Miami, meanwhile, was just 17-24 away from South Beach.
Cleveland 101, Miami 95
The NBA odds for this game will first open at BookMaker Sportsbook. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next half. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device 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 moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers will start at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, October 30, 2015, at Quicken Loans Arena.
