By Greg Dempson
Pinnacle: Warriors +1 vs Cavaliers -1 Total 205
Winning two games in their 4–2 championship series loss last season had many believe a healthier Cavaliers team could perhaps get the job done vs. the Warriors this second time around.
Whether it is a Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup or the World Series, there is never a lot of love to go around and tonight there is a strong possibility there might be no “Love” on the court.
He must pass the concussion protocol before being cleared to play in tonight’s game. So, the Cavaliers find themselves trailing 2–0 in the series, how did this happen?
To start with, LeBron James has turned the ball over 11 times in the first two games and he is just 16 for 38 from the floor. James needs teammates Kyrie Irving, 23.5 PPG, 4.8 APG, 1.7 SPG in playoffs and PF Kevin Love, 16.5 PPG, 9.4 RPG in playoffs to step up.
Irving scored only 10 points on 5 for 14 shooting in Game 2 and he’s been horrible on defense. Love is just 9 for 24 in this series and has been exposed defensively as well.
Just as Golden State demolished the Cavaliers in games 1 and 2 on their home court, I’m sure Cleveland is hoping they can do to Golden State what the Raptors did to them in Toronto in games 3 and 4, tie the series up at two games apiece.
In the post season history of the NBA, those first two loses by the Cavaliers became a record for the worst two most lopsided losses. The Warriors have defended the 3 point short remarkably well as Cleveland averaged 6 3-point makes in the first two games while the Warriors averaged 12 per game.
I expect a better effort from Cleveland tonight, (especially in the first half,) and perhaps for the full game.
Double Dribbles
· The Warriors have lost all three game 3’s in the post season.
· The Cavaliers are 7–0 at home in the playoffs.
· Golden State has won seven consecutive games vs. the Cavaliers including a 132–98 throttling in January of this year.
· The past two seasons the Cavaliers are 20–09 ATS in home games revenging a loss when an opponent scored 100 or more points including 13–04 ATS this season.
· Cleveland needs to get off to a good start tonight and feed off the home crowd, are they capable of winning the first half?
· Play on home favorites in the first half when revenging a road blowout loss to an opponent by 30 points or more against that same opponent who is off a home win. This system is 40–13 = 75% ATS since 1996 as well as 3–0 ATS this season and 13–02 = 87% ATS the past five seasons..
NBA Pick
My Every Edge offering for this evening is on the Cleveland Cavaliers at –1 or –1.5 points in the first half.