The Cleveland Cavaliers had a chance to make a statement against the Warriors on Monday and fell incredibly flat in a 132-98 loss. They'll be back at it in the national spotlight once again on Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, and they'll be hoping for significantly better results.
You can bet on NBA odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
SCHEDULING
The Clippers are about set to engage on a huge road trip on the East Coast, and this is the first of those games. They're 9-8-2 ATS on the road, and they closed out their last East Coast swing by winning and covering games at Charlotte, New Orleans and Philadelphia.
Cleveland is playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Cavs were run off the court by the Warriors on Monday night, and they'll have just one day to get ready for the first end of that back-to-back against Brooklyn on the road.
The Cavaliers are just 2-4-1 ATS this season when playing the second leg of a back-to-back, something that live bettors must remember in this game.
KEY MATCHUP
LeBron James is the man who you'd think we're focusing in on, but we're a little more worried about the other two big pieces to the puzzle, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. These two men shot just 4-for-16 from the field against Golden State on Monday, and they seem to be the ones who really push this team to victory or defeat.
With Blake Griffin very likely out of the fold once again with his quadriceps injury, that's going to put a lot of pressure on either Paul Pierce or Luc Mbah a Moute to start off defending against Love, and that's a really tough matchup. Obviously, Chris Paul is still one of the best on-the-ball defenders in the league at the point guard spot, so Irving could have a fight on his hands.
Live bettors will need to really focus in on these two matchups. Love is the man who could be the make or break player on the Cleveland roster, and if he's at his best, the Clippers are going to be in a lot of trouble, knowing that they really don't have the horses at power forward to account for him when the Cavaliers have their big lineup on the court with Timofey Mozgov, Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson out there with Love.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
Cleveland is on a nice little run here having won nine out of 11 games. Of course, the wins weren't all that notable, though the losses aren't also shocking either to San Antonio and Golden State.
The Clippers have won 11 of their last 12 games, but their one loss to Sacramento was a bit mind-boggling. However, when you consider the fact that Griffin hasn't played in 10 of those 12 games, It’s a real testament to just how good the rest of this team is.
Live bettors need to be aware that the Clippers have played really well offensively of late. They've averaged 110.4 points per game throughout this run of good play, though both the over and the under have cashed six times. With the way LA has played offensively though, points could hit the scoreboard in a hurry, especially against a Cleveland defense which just allowed 104 points in three quarters to the Warriors.
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 Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers square off Thursday, January 21, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena. The matchup will be televised nationally on TNT.
