The Eastern Conference is supposed to be the equivalent of the NIT to the Western Conference's NCAA Tournament. Don't tell that to the Cleveland Cavaliers (60-31 SU, 43-48 ATS). They've had to really grind it out against the Chicago Bulls (56-37 SU, 46-47 ATS) in a brutal five games. Game 6 will be Thursday night in the Windy City, where you can bet that more punishment will be dished out.
MORE TIMEOUT MADNESS
Prior to Game 4, we showcased just how profitable live betting was in this series. Simply bet on the underdog team every step of the way, and you've probably got yourself a winner. Let's test the logic from Game 5 in Cleveland. Here were the scores during the live betting stoppages on Tuesday.
9:33 1Q: 8-0 Chicago
2:16 1Q: 22-17 Chicago
End 1Q: 25-24 Cleveland
8:41 2Q: 33-27 Cleveland
5:52 2Q: 40-32 Cleveland
2:57 2Q: 48-40 Cleveland
End 2Q: 54-44 Cleveland
9:37 3Q: 54-50 Cleveland
5:48 3Q: 60-57 Cleveland
End 3Q: 80-71 Cleveland
8:34 4Q: 92-77 Cleveland
5:41 4Q: 97-88 Cleveland
2:15 4Q: 101-96 Cleveland
0:48 4Q: 101-99 Cleveland
0:16 4Q: 103-99 Cleveland
0:09 4Q: 104-99 Cleveland
Outside of at 22-17 Chicago in the first quarter and 101-99 in the fourth, literally every step of the way, you could have bet on the underdog team and turned up money once again.
Just one quick lap around Twitter after Game 5, and you'll see tons of phrases like, "The Bulls never gave up," or "Nothing is ever easy against Chicago."
That's the sign of a well-coached team, and Tom Thibodeau has earned respect for the way his teams always play on the court. Defense turns into offense, and any time you can string some stops together in the playoffs, you can go on a big run and erase any lead.
Now that this series is back in Chicago, the Bulls should once again be considered virtually every step of the way in live betting.
TIRED LEBRON
Statistics don't tell the whole story here about LeBron James. Sure, he scored 38 points and had 12 boards in Game 5. He's been the MVP of this series for certain, and he isn't going to quit on this club.
But the bottom line is that he just doesn't look right, and at some point, he's going to start to give in. James only shot 1-of-5 from beyond the arc, and all of these isolation plays are eventually going to fail.
In the last half of the fourth quarter, James just had nothing go right for him. His jumpers all seemed to be short, and he couldn't hit the backside of a barn after expending all of the effort just to get loose from the pesky Chicago defenders.
In fact, James went 0-of-5 from the field in the last six minutes of Game 5, and not surprisingly, that's when Chicago went on its run.
David Blatt isn't the most innovative coach in the world, and it's showing. The Cleveland offense far too often is just getting the ball in James' hands at the top of the key and clearing everything else out, letting him take Jimmy Butler or someone of the sorts take him 1-on-1.
There are times when that is the best play on the planet. Any time you can get James matched up 1-on-1 with anyone standing in front of him, you've got a great chance to score.
However, what we're finding out now is that James is spending far more time settling for jumpers than going in for the physical contact he is going to get in the paint, and he just doesn't have those outside shooters to kick the ball out to. Missing Kevin Love is proving to be a massive problem, and we think that could once again prove to be problematic in Game 6.
If the Cavs are stuck in neutral for the most part once again, and the offense revolves around James virtually 100 percent of the time, know that eventually, he's probably going to run out of legs under him. Live betting could definitely be your friend at the first sight of James' weary legs.
BookMaker will have the spread for this Thursday soiree the night before the game. 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 showdown between the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers will start at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 14, 2015, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. The contest will be broadcast on ESPN.
