The Boston Celtics, however improbably, are one game away from the NBA Finals. A team so many expected to exit the playoffs quietly because of injuries will look to close out the Eastern Conference Finals in Game 6.
It won’t be easy as the Cleveland Cavaliers will return home, where they are going to be solid favorites to extend this series to a winner-take-all Game 7. Each team has defended its home court in the first five games of this series. LeBron James and the Cavs need to continue that trend of else they will be headed home for the summer.
Boston has overcome the odds all postseason and would love to pull another upset and clinch its tickets into the NBA Finals in NBA basketball gambling.
Game 6 of this NBA Playoff Series is on Friday, May 25, 2018 at 8:30 p.m at 8:30 p.m. ET at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The contest will be nationally televised on ESPN.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.
Odds Analysis
The Cavaliers were waxed last time out, but much like after losing the first two games, they are substantial favorites to capture Game 6. The oddsmakers have posited Cleveland the 7-point favorites and it is getting the majority of the early action to cover.
The scoring total is listed at 201.5 points. The “under” easily hit in Game 5 as the Boston defense was dominant.
The Cavaliers are listed -325 favorites while the Celtics are the +263 underdogs to close out the series.
Last Time Out
The Celtics took a 13-point lead after one quarter and never were really threatened after that, cruising to the 96-83 victory. Jayson Tatum finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Al Horford added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
James didn’t look like his usual dominant self, as he finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and five assists but didn’t consistently get to the hoop or create for others. He turned the ball over six times. When James isn’t playing like Superman, the Cavaliers are going to struggle, as they don’t have the type of depth to regularly compete when he is off his game.
The supporting cast beyond Kevin Love was again putrid and must step up in the final two games or Cleveland will be going home.
Key Stat
Nine. That’s the closest margin of victory for either side in this series, so while it’s been a competitive Eastern Conference Finals, the games themselves have all been blowouts.
The three games in Boston have each had small spreads but the Celtics have easily come away with victories each time. The Cavaliers have been bigger favorites at home and they have taken care of business there.
It seems like this series is due for a good game, and if that happens in Game 6 the Celtics would be the correct call against the spread in NBA basketball gambling.
Free NBA ATS Picks
The Cavaliers have been dynamite at home in this series and that shouldn’t change in this one. The team knows how much there is on the line and James seems poised to have a humongous performance. It’s unknown if this series will go Cleveland’s way because the Celtics are very good at home and could very well win Game 7, but it seems likely to get there.
Boston did not look good in Cleveland for Games 3 and 4 but should push the Cavs to the brink in this one. However, Cleveland is the pick to win this game and force a winner-take-all contest. The Celtics, though, are the pick to cover while the “over” is the pick because of late free throws in NBA basketball gambling.
NBA ATS Pick: Cavaliers 104, Celtics 102
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