Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Thursday 5/31/18
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (-12.5, 214.5)
Series tied 0-0.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals for the fourth straight game and the series begins Thursday night in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors won two of the first three meetings and the latest matchup will likely begin with Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (concussion) sitting out.
Cleveland star LeBron James doesn't understand why there is complaining that the two teams are one again sharing the Finals' stage. "Teams have had their opportunities to beat the Cavs over the last four years, and teams have had the opportunities to beat the Warriors over the last four years," James said at his Wednesday press conference. "If you want to see somebody else in the postseason, then you got to beat them." There also has been a lot of chatter about how James lacks a supporting case - an odd notion for a team that is in the NBA Finals and one Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn't prescribe to in the least. "You don't get to The Finals with one man, no matter how good that one man is," Kerr said at his press conference. "So we have great respect for the Cavs, their resiliency. The fact that they're here four years in a row - we know exactly how hard that is. So we're preparing for a lot more than just LeBron, that's for sure."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ABC
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LINE HISTORY: The Warriors opened as 11.5-point home favorites when the odds were first released Monday night and as of Wednesday night that number is up to -12.5. The total hit betting boards at 216 and has been dropped to 214.5. Check out the complete line history here.
INJURY REPORT:
Cavaliers - C K. Love (Questionable, Concussion).
Warriors - PF D. Green (Probable, Ankle), SF A. Iguodala (Out, Leg), SF C. Boucher (Out Indefinitely, Ankle).
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (62-38 SU, 40-59-1 ATS, 46-52-2 O/U): Love suffered a concussion in Friday's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics and has yet to pass the protocol and coach Tyronn Lue doesn't know if he will be available. Love, a five-time All-Star, was seen on the practice floor Wednesday and Lue did indicate that Love will start the contest if he is cleared to play. Love's presence would alleviate some pressure off James, who is averaging 34 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists in a stellar postseason.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (70-29 SU, 43-55-1 ATS, 44-54-1 O/U): Veteran defensive stopper Andre Iguodala (left leg) will miss his fifth consecutive contest, leaving Golden State without a player who typically shadows James. "Well, he was MVP of the series in 2015, largely because he took that role on of guarding LeBron, but also because of what he did offensively," Kerr told reporters in reference to Iguodala's importance. "He's doing a little bit better. Some encouraging signs, but we have ruled him out for Game 1." Kerr did the duty of guarding James will be spread among at least four players - forwards Kevin Durant and Draymond Green and guards Klay Thompson and Shaun Livingston.
TRENDS:
* Cavaliers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. NBA Pacific.
* Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 vs. Eastern Conference.
* Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers' last 4 road games.
* Under is 5-0 in Warriors' last 5 overall.
* Under is 8-2-2 in the last 12 meetings in Golden State.
Round 4: It's Cleveland vs. Golden State
Here we go again.
And again.
And, well, again.
Round 4 - as many predicted, and others probably lamented - is happening. Cleveland and Golden State will meet for the fourth straight year in the NBA Finals, the Warriors looking for a third championship in that span and LeBron James and the Cavaliers trying to wrestle the crown away just as they did in the 2016 series.
On one side, the best team of this era.
On the other, the best player of this era and maybe any era.
Game 1 will be hosted by the Warriors at Oracle Arena on Thursday night.
''You've got to appreciate the moment,'' Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. ''Somebody asked, `Four years in a row getting to the finals, do you appreciate it?' Yes.''
Both teams are entering this title matchup with injury concerns. Cleveland's Kevin Love is in the concussion protocol and will need to complete a series of tests before he's cleared to return, and Golden State's Andre Iguodala - a former NBA Finals MVP - wasn't able to finish the Warriors-Rockets series because of a bone bruise in his leg.
The Warriors hoped Iguodala would return to the Houston series, but his progress stalled.
''That's just not an easy injury to predict in terms of recovery,'' Warriors coach Steve Kerr said.
There wasn't a lot of similarity in Cleveland's and Golden State's seasons, but their last few days have been mirror images of one another - both teams had to win Game 6s at home to fend off elimination, then had to go on the road and prevail in Game 7s to win their respective conference finals.
''One of the most challenging seasons I've had,'' said James, who may be playing the best basketball of his life right now at the end of his 15th season.
Here's some of what the Cavaliers have dealt with since Golden State-Cleveland III ended last June: Kyrie Irving got traded for Isaiah Thomas over the summer, coach Tyronn Lue had to miss time to deal with health issues, Love missed two months, they lost 11 games by 16 or more points, revamped their roster in February and spent much of the season unable to guard anybody.
They're in the finals again anyway, led by someone who will play in the last series of the season for an absurd eighth consecutive year.
''It's been a roller coaster,'' said James, who is seeking a fourth ring in his ninth finals appearance overall. ''It's been good, it's been bad. It's been roses. There have been thorns in the roses. There's been everything that you can ask for.''
This wasn't all peaches for Golden State, either. The Warriors didn't get the No. 1 seed out West, lost Curry to a knee injury late in the regular season, lost 10 of their final 17 games and got pushed to the brink.
''I'm glad we're going back,'' Warriors forward Kevin Durant said.
The Warriors swept the two regular-season meetings with the Cavaliers, winning by seven at home on Christmas Day (without Curry) and prevailing by 10 in Cleveland about three weeks later.
Film-wise, those two games are meaningless now. Of Cleveland's five leading scorers against Golden State this season, three no longer play for the Cavaliers. James and Love combined to score 100 points in the two games, but Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas were all shipped elsewhere by the Cavs in a series of trade-deadline moves.
''We obviously know what LeBron's capable of,'' Curry said shortly after the Warriors' Game 7 win at Houston ended. ''It's a new team over there, so the other guys, we've got to lock in on their tendencies. But we'll worry about that when we get home.''
If the Cavaliers win this championship, it might be time to declare the regular season irrelevant.
Cleveland was only 50-32 this season. Should James and his mates get it done, that would be the second-worst, regular-season record for an eventual champion in the last 40 seasons. Houston went 47-35 on the way to the 1995 title; to find another champion who was worse, go back to Washington in 1978 when the Bullets were a mere 44-38.
''Everybody doubted us,'' Cavaliers forward Jeff Green said. ''Everybody had their opinions on what our team was, what we would do, what we can't do, from the start. ... And now, I mean, we're where we want to be. We're where we set out to be and where we knew we could be at this point.''
Same goes for the Warriors. This season was no cakewalk for them, either.
''We've been through a lot with this team,'' Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. ''Believe it or not, it's not all success with the Warriors. We got our bumps throughout the season. But to get to this point again, we earned it.''
And now it's time for one of these teams to earn a title.
ATS Trends
Cleveland
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Cavaliers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. NBA Pacific.
Cavaliers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Cavaliers are 1-9 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games.
Golden State
Warriors are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games playing on 2 days rest.
Warriors are 8-21-1 ATS in their last 30 games following a ATS win.
Warriors are 6-17 ATS in their last 23 games following a straight up win.
Warriors are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Thursday games.
Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 vs. Eastern Conference.
Warriors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 vs. NBA Central.
OU Trends
Cleveland
Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 road games.
Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 vs. Western Conference.
Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
Over is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 NBA Championship games.
Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 games following a ATS win.
Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 overall.
Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 vs. NBA Pacific.
Under is 35-17-2 in Cavaliers last 54 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
Golden State
Under is 5-0 in Warriors last 5 overall.
Under is 5-0 in Warriors last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
Under is 4-0 in Warriors last 4 home games.
Over is 4-0 in Warriors last 4 NBA Championship games.
Under is 7-1 in Warriors last 8 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
Under is 5-1 in Warriors last 6 games following a straight up win.
Over is 7-2 in Warriors last 9 Thursday games.
Under is 6-2 in Warriors last 8 vs. NBA Central.
Under is 14-5 in Warriors last 19 vs. Eastern Conference.
Under is 10-4 in Warriors last 14 games playing on 2 days rest.
Head to Head
Under is 8-2-2 in the last 12 meetings in Golden State.
Favorite is 6-2 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
Cavaliers are 2-6 ATS in the last 8 meetings.
Cavaliers are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings in Golden State.
Preview: Cavaliers at Warriors
Gracenote
May 30, 2018
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors are in the NBA Finals for the fourth straight season and the series begins Thursday night in Oakland, Calif. The Warriors won two of the first three meetings and the latest matchup will likely begin with Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (concussion) sitting out.
Cleveland star LeBron James doesn't understand why there is complaining that the two teams are once again sharing the Finals' stage. "Teams have had their opportunities to beat the Cavs over the last four years, and teams have had the opportunities to beat the Warriors over the last four years," James told reporters at his Wednesday press conference. "If you want to see somebody else in the postseason, then you got to beat them." There also has been a lot of chatter about how James lacks a supporting case - an odd notion for a team that is in the NBA Finals and one Warriors coach Steve Kerr doesn't prescribe to in the least. "You don't get to the Finals with one man, no matter how good that one man is," Kerr said at his press conference. "So we have great respect for the Cavs, their resiliency. The fact that they're here four years in a row - we know exactly how hard that is. So we're preparing for a lot more than just LeBron, that's for sure."
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ABC
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS: Love suffered a concussion in Friday's Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics and has yet to pass the protocol, and coach Tyronn Lue doesn't know if he will be available. Love, a five-time All-Star, was seen on the practice floor Wednesday and Lue did indicate that he will start the contest if he is cleared to play. Love's presence would alleviate some pressure off James, who is averaging 34 points, 9.2 rebounds and 8.8 assists in a stellar postseason.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS: Veteran defensive stopper Andre Iguodala (left leg) will miss his fifth consecutive contest, leaving Golden State without a player who typically shadows James. "Well, he was MVP of the series in 2015, largely because he took that role on of guarding LeBron, but also because of what he did offensively," Kerr told reporters in reference to Iguodala's importance. "He's doing a little bit better. Some encouraging signs, but we have ruled him out for Game 1." Kerr said the duty of guarding James will be spread among at least four players - forwards Kevin Durant and Draymond Green and guards Klay Thompson and Shaun Livingston.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Warriors PG Stephen Curry made 25 3-pointers over the final five games of the Western Conference finals against the Houston Rockets and averaged 28.2 points during the stretch.
2. James has topped 40 points seven times this postseason, one shy of Jerry West's postseason record set in 1965.
3. Golden State SF Kevin Durant is averaging 29 points in the postseason and has topped 20 in all 17 games.
PREDICTION: Warriors 118, Cavaliers 111
NBA
Long Sheet
Thursday, May 31
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CLEVELAND (62 - 38) at GOLDEN STATE (70 - 29) - 5/31/2018, 9:05 PM
Top Trends for this game.
CLEVELAND is 40-58 ATS (-23.8 Units) in all games this season.
CLEVELAND is 7-18 ATS (-12.8 Units) against Pacific division opponents over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 24-40 ATS (-20.0 Units) in non-conference games over the last 2 seasons.
CLEVELAND is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) versus poor defensive teams - allowing 106+ points/game this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 65-43 ATS (+17.7 Units) in all playoff games since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 67-41 ATS (+21.9 Units) versus good offensive teams - scoring 106+ points/game - 2nd half of the season since 1996.
GOLDEN STATE is 42-54 ATS (-17.4 Units) in all games this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 40-48 ATS (-12.8 Units) as a favorite this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 23-35 ATS (-15.5 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record this season.
GOLDEN STATE is 13-24 ATS (-13.4 Units) when playing against a team with a winning record - 2nd half of the season this season.
Head-to-Head Series History
GOLDEN STATE is 10-8 against the spread versus CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
GOLDEN STATE is 12-6 straight up against CLEVELAND over the last 3 seasons
10 of 17 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons