Posts Tagged ‘Cleveland Cavaliers’
It was a short week for the NBA betting world, but in spite of that fact, there was still plenty of ups and downs to talk about. Check out Who’s Hot and Who’s Not in the world of the NBA at Bang the Book, brought to you by Sportsbook.com! ATS Power Poll 1: Atlanta Hawks (32-19 ATS): We won’t fault the Hawks for coming up well short against the Heat in the final game before the All-Star Break because of their injuries. A 108-94 victory in Memphis back on Tuesday was key for some self-confidence, especially considering that the first four off of the break are all on the West Coast. 2: Oklahoma City Thunder (32-19 ATS): You’ve been Thunder Struck! Oklahoma City went into the hiatus on a high, winning six straight SU and five of those six ATS. Three huge wins on the road against Western Conference rivals were all clutch to say the least, and with a relatively easy schedule starting on Tuesday night, the Thunder could be in the playoff picture to stay. 3: Utah Jazz (30-18-3 ATS): The Jazz had their opponents singing the blues until the Lakers clipped them 96-81 at home in their final game prior to the season’s intermission. Whereas Utah is 18-9-2 ATS at home, its 12-9-1 mark against the basketball betting lines isn’t quite as strong. The first four next week are all on the road. ATS Power Outage 1: New Jersey Nets (19-32-1 ATS): It’s never good when the turnstiles at your games only read 1,016. That’s what happened to the Nets right before the All-Star Break. One would figure that a chance to see history can’t be missed. After all, how many times in your life will you get to feast your eyes on a team that may not reach five wins on the season? Oh that’s right. Who wants to see the home team get blasted by 20 points on their home court? 2: Boston Celtics (19-30-1 ATS): The break came just at the right time for Celtics bettors, who had to be losing faith in their squad after dropping four straight ATS decisions in a row. The good news for Boston is that it is 13-13 ATS on the road this year, which is where the first four will be next week. At least that may build some momentum before coming back to the Garden on February 23rd. 3: Dallas Mavericks (21-31 ATS): Now that the Mavericks have made a move that has totally changed the face of their team, they’re going to be a tough squad to make NBA picks on. F Caron Butler is certainly going to add some scoring flare, but there’s got to be a question about how well this team will mesh. Things couldn’t get much worse from a bettors standpoint, though. Dallas had failed to cover seven of its L/8. The Good The Bad The Ugly
F LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers: It’s hard to say that LeBron is simply “The Good,” because with the way that he has been playing lately, he’s simply, “The Best.” It was just another week of back-to-back 32-point games for King James, and that came on the heels of a mere 47-point effort against the Knicks and a 36-pointer vs. Miami. Simply put: There isn’t a man that you’d rather have on your NBA team right now than LeBron James.
The Bigs for the Los Angeles Clippers: Ok, I know that it’s hard for you to even find G Stephen Curry on the court considering that he’s only 6′3″ and looks like he is about 120 lbs sopping wet, but how are all ten eyes on the court not on a guy who ends up going for 32 points, ten boards, and 13 assists in the same game? F Rasual Butler and C Chris Kaman were outrebounded by Curry 10-8 on the night. Not good, Clips. Not good at all.
Houston Rockets: Being short-handed may be a good excuse for some teams, but for the Rockets on Tuesday night, there were just no excuses. Houston only scored 66 points in an embarrassing 33-point loss in South Beach against the Heat. G Dwyane Wade’s pedestrian 17 points was more than the Rockets scored in three of the four quarters of action.
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, basketball betting, Boston Celtics, Caron Butler, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Dwyane Wade, Houston Rockets, lebron james, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, nba betting, NBA Picks, New Jersey Nets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Stephen Curry, Utah Jazz
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cleveland -7.5, 190 O/U Orlando leads series 3-1 The Orlando Magic have surprised the world after capturing two straight victories over the Cleveland Cavaliers and now have a chance to win the series this Thursday night in Cleveland. The Magic pulled off two straight victories at home to put some distance over the Cavaliers who were favorites to win the series. The two teams participated in a classic battle in Game 4 which needed extra minutes outside of regulation to decide the contest. Lebron James had another stellar effort scoring 44 points in the match-up. However, James missed a last second shot in overtime which handed them their 3rd loss of the series and really dampened their chances at the NBA Finals. King James and the Cavaliers return home this Thursday night in a must win scenario. Cleveland’s back is now against the wall and there is no room for mistake when they host the Magic this Thursday. Calculating how well the Cavaliers have played at home this season and the fact they must come out playing their best, the sports books have Cleveland listed as a 7.5 point favorite this Thursday night in Game 5. However, Dwight Howard and the rest of the Magic will try to play the spoiler role again and earn a trip to the NBA Finals. Orlando’s winning efforts came from yet another strong shooting effort on Tuesday night. Orlando shot 50% from the field as a team for the 2nd time for the series. Dwight Howard had another solid effort against the glass pulling down 14 rebounds while leading the team with 27 points. However, Howard did pick up his 6th technical foul of the post-season during Tuesday night’s affair. Howard now can not afford to give up another technical as a 7th would result in a one game suspension and it would be safe to say that would be devastating for Orlando. Rafer Alston had a huge performance that likely was the difference maker in Game 4. Alston drained six 3 pointers on the night and tallied up 26 points in the breakout performance. The Magic drained 17 3 pointers on the night shooting a lucrative 45% from behind the arc. If not for the constant ability to knock down the 3 ball, the game likely would have had a different outcome. However, Orlando found a way to make it happen and now are a mere one game away to take down the Eastern Conference Championship. The Cavaliers would have loved for Lebron James’ last second shot to have similar results as his last second effort in Game 2, but that was not to be the case. James still had an extraordinary performance with 44 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists on the night. However, Cleveland as a team just could not stop the Magic from raining 3 pointers for much of the second half. Delonte West and Mo Williams were both effective in the game as they combined for 35 points. It was a step in the right direction for West who had been rather quiet over the last few match-ups. Williams has played well throughout the playoffs and he continues to be the biggest threat on Cleveland’s side of the court outside of James. However, the difference was Orlando’s ability to knock down the long shots. Cleveland shot a poor 27% from behind the arc and only one person outside of Lebron James was able to knock down a 3 pointer. The Cavaliers who were a perfect 8-0 in the postseason just a short time ago are now staring elimination in the face. The Cavaliers will look for some confidence when they head back home Thursday night where they have been dominate all season and attempt to keep their Championship hopes alive. Pick – Over 190
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers
Thursday, 8:30PM Eastern
Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Eastern Conference, nba basketball, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cleveland -9, O/U 188 Orlando leads series 1-0 The Eastern Conference has truly had some outstanding match-ups throughout the post-season and it is quite evident that we may have one more left to play out. The Orlando Magic pulled off what many would consider an upset when they took down the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland 107-106 in dramatic fashion. The Cavaliers jumped out to an early lead in the game leading by 15 at the half and it appeared as they would cruise to another home victory. However, the Magic answered back throughout the 2nd half and Rashard Lewis nailed a 3 pointer to cap the comeback in the closing seconds to capture the surprising win. Cleveland now looks to rebound tonight when they host Orlando for the 2nd game of the series. If somehow the Magic could find a way to win again, then it would be just completely devastating to Cleveland considering how they have dominated all year at home. However, Orlando would take complete control if that scenario were to happen as they get the next two games at home as well. Orlando came out the gates with a sluggish start Wednesday night, but regrouped at the break which led to a solid 2nd half effort. The Magic will try to put together another similar effort and take down the Cavaliers twice at home; a feat no other team has done this year. Dwight Howard had a solid performance as always in Wednesday night’s showdown. Howard led the Magic with 30 points while shooting a strong 70% from the floor. Howard also grabbed 13 rebounds on the night. However, Rashard Lewis was perhaps the biggest aid in second half. Lewis was just 2 of 5 from the floor with 5 points in the first half, but ended up getting some momentum after the break. Lewis scored 17 second half points that included 3 for 3 behind the arc in the final quarters which handed Cleveland their first loss of the post-season. Hedo Turkoglu got in on the action dropping 15 and led the team with 14 assists on the night. Turkoglu and Lewis will be huge factors throughout the series and their ability to play strong will likely determine if the Magic can take down the series. Cleveland completely appeared to be stunned after Wednesday night’s home loss in the opening game of the Conference Finals. The Cavaliers looked to be in control for most of the night, but could not hold off Orlando in the end. The loss certainly did not result from a lack of effort from the league’s reigning MVP. Lebron James played strong throughout the night and appeared to score at will. James put together a masterful 49 point performance that included 8 assists and 6 rebounds. However, Cleveland true downfall possibly came from the play of their defense which has been superb throughout the season. The Cavaliers have led the NBA all season in defense holding opponents to just 91 points on the year. However, the Cavaliers fell victim to a strong shooting performance from Orlando and allowed the Magic to shoot for 55% and 107 points both of which equal the worse Cleveland defensive performance of the postseason. The Cavaliers will look to get back the rhythm and stick to their style of play this Friday night when they will be 9 point favorites to try and get the series back all square. Pick – Cleveland -9
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers
Friday, 8:30PM Eastern
Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Eastern Conference Finals, Game 2, nba, nba playoffs, Orlando Magic
NBA Playoff Preview Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers (Cavaliers lead 1-0)  SBG Global Opening Line: Cavaliers - 12 , Total 177  The Cleveland Cavaliers will try and take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. The Cavaliers are heavily favored to win Game 2 considering they have only lost two games at home all season. Cleveland has been rolling throughout the playoffs so far, winning all five of their games by double-digits.  SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Cavaliers  at Home.  Cleveland is giving up only 76.8 points per game in the playoffs which is even better than they did in the regular season when they led the entire league in defense.  The Hawks actually scored 44 points in the first half of Game 1 before Cleveland’ coaching staff made a statement about the poor defense and the Cavaliers slammed the door on the Hawks in the second half. “The coaches got on us,” Cleveland center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said. “They were shooting 56 percent from the field or so, getting some dunks. We came out flat or lackadaisical. The second half was different, we got some stops and they only got one offensive rebound.” Cleveland played great defense in the second half, got another superb game out of league MVP LeBron James who scored 34 points and rolled to a 99-72 win. It could be more of the same on Thursday.  Here are the NBA betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Hawks are 12-3 ATS in their last 15 vs. the Central. The Hawks are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 playoff games as an underdog.  The Cavaliers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 Conference Semifinals games. The Cavaliers are 36-15 ATS in their last 51 games as a home favorite. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings between the two teams and the favorite is 17-8 ATS in the last 25 meetings.  SBG Global Current Line: Cavaliers - 12.5 , Total 179  The Under is 5-0 in the Hawks last 5 games as a road underdog. The Under is 5-1 in the Hawks last 6 overall. The Under is 5-1 in the Hawks last 6 vs. the Eastern Conference. The Over is 13-5-1 in the Hawks last 19 vs. the Central.  The Under is 4-0 in the Cavaliers last 4 playoff games as a favorite. The Under is 15-4 in the Cavaliers last 19 Conference Semifinals games. The Under is 41-20-1 in the Cavaliers last 62 games as a home favorite.
Thursday, 8:05 pm Eastern – ESPN
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, basketball, Cleveland Cavaliers, nba, sports
NBA Playoffs Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cleveland -11.5, O/U 179.5 Game 1 Conference Semi-finals The Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Detroit Pistons in 4 games putting just another notch on their impeccable resume this season. Cleveland remained extremely dominant at home winning the two games over the Pistons by a combined 30 points. The Cavaliers will put their home court advantage to the test once again this Tuesday night when they host the Atlanta Hawks in Game 1 of the Conference Semi-Finals. Atlanta is fresh off a hard fought 7 games series with the Miami Heat. The opening round series was back and forth the entire way. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 27 points in Game 7 to lift them to a strong 91-78 victory over the Heat and into a meeting with the heavy favored Cleveland Cavaliers. Atlanta has lost 3 out of 4 games to the Cavaliers already this season, but they did win one game in Atlanta and only lost by one point the 2nd meeting at home. The Hawks lost a 6 point battle in the most recent trip to Cleveland on back in late March and will be fairly sizeable underdogs when they take the floor on Tuesday night. Cleveland has looked very strong thus far through playoff action. The Cavaliers are also expected to play extremely tough at home like they have all season hence the 11.5 point favorites. Lebron James led all scoring efforts in the previous 4 games against the Pistons. James averaged 32 points per game to lead the Cleveland scoring attack. James also averaged 26 points per game in the previous 4 meetings with Atlanta and it is safe to say that the Hawks need to limit his scoring opportunities. Despite an off night in Game 3 against Detroit, point guard Mo Williams has been stellar through the 2nd half of the season including the playoffs as well. Williams scored just below 20 points per game outside of Game 3 where he only managed to score 2 points in 42 minutes of play. Williams play has been a big key to Cleveland success to take some of the energy and focus off of James. Cleveland of course is big favorites to win the series, but believe they will need center Zydrunas Ilgauskas to be a bit more effective than he was in the opening series mainly on the boards. However like we have said all season, for any team to beat the Cavaliers in a series means they will have to find a way to win in Cleveland. Atlanta momentum from their 7 game series can work one of two ways. One way is that they come out strong catching Cleveland off-guard since they have been resting up over the last few days. Or Atlanta may come out on tired legs, and Cleveland could come out dominate with the fresh legs. Take a pick on what you think will happen, but keep in mind that the unexpected seems to always happen in the post-season before you write off the Hawks. Atlanta is the same teams that come on very strong last season taking the eventual NBA Champion Boston Celtics to 7 games. Joe Johnson averaged 21.4 points this season and knocked home 17 points on average through the opening series with Miami. Add to the fact that Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, and Marvin Williams all have the ability to make a difference in the series. Smith had one fairly poor performance in Game 6, but was solid throughout the series in general. Atlanta is a lot like Cleveland in their style of play. Both teams generally tend to score lower totals, and rely on defense to control the pace of game. The only difference is in this series is that they will be playing a much tougher team than Miami. Pick – Over 179.5
Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers
Tuesday, 8:00PM Eastern
Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Conference Semi-Finals, nba playoffs
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line – Cleveland -5.5, 186 O/U Two of the top dogs in the Eastern Conference square off Easter Sunday when the Boston Celtics take the road to play against the toughest home team in the league when they head to Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers. Cleveland is sporting a mind blowing 38-1 record at home heading into the showdown and they have truly been a class of their own inside Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland has won 3 straight games knocking off Philadelphia 102-92 on Friday night. The Celtics have put together a solid 6 game winning streak heading into the much anticipated match-up with their last loss back in late March from Orlando. Boston has a two game advantage over the Magic for the 2nd place bragging rights position in the East and a win would guarantee them that spot. However, the Celtics will be trying to do what only one team has done all season and that is defeat the Cavaliers in Cleveland. Boston has gotten the better of the Cavaliers twice out of the prior 3 meetings this season and they will seek a 3rd victory this Sunday. Cleveland has won an impressive 16 of their last 18 ball games as they remain strong closing out the year. The only really disappointing performance Cleveland has had down the stretch was the blowout loss to Orlando back on April 3rd, but they will still be favorites to win the East heading into the playoffs in a matter of few short weeks. Lebron James has led the scoring efforts for the Cavaliers the last 10 games which should not be surprising since the superstar is averaging a NBA 2nd best 28.3 points per game for the season. James has averaged a stellar 24 points in the prior 3 meetings and in their only win over the Celtics this season he posted a strong 38 point performance. James will need some help from Mo Williams and others this Sunday to take down the Celtics even if they are the favorites at home. Boston usually does a good job defensively of putting a hand in a shooters face and the Cavaliers will need a collective effort unless James catches fire. The game should be an interesting precursor to see if anyone will be able to contend with Cleveland at home during the playoffs. Boston is coming fresh off a strong 105-98 win over Miami on Friday night. Celtics small forward Paul Pierce posted a team high 28 points in the victory. Rajon Rondo posted a double-double despite a down night shooting the ball. Rondo had 10 rebounds and 12 assist running the point for the Celtics, but only managed to put in 7 points which was very surprising considering he was averaging 24 points in the previous 3 games. The victory marked the 5th straight game the Boston Celtics had scored a 100 points or more. The feat is actually the first time all season the Celtics have put together 5 straight 100 point performances. The Celtics defense is popularly known to be among the best in the NBA and when they put together higher scoring efforts it makes them nearly impossible to beat. Boston has now won 6 straight and 10 of their last 11 games. However, both the Celtics and the Cavaliers have been vulnerable on the road outside of both teams playing extremely well at home. If Boston could grab the 3rd win over the Cavaliers on the road this Sunday it would be just that more impressive to close out the season with a ton of confidence. Pick – Look for both teams to be in a low scoring grudge match. Take under 186
Boston Celtics (60-19) at Cleveland Cavaliers (64-15)
Sunday, 4:30PM Eastern
Tags: basketball, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Eastern Conference, nba
NBA Betting Preview Betus.com betting line - The two hottest teams in the NBA will take battle prime time Friday night when the Orlando Magic square off with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game comes at a time with both ball clubs are playing extremely well. The Cavaliers have won 13 games in a row heading into a Thursday night showdown with Washington before taking on the Magic on Friday night. Orlando has also been on top of their game of late winning their last 6 games and has also won 13 of the last 15 contests. Cleveland owns the best record in the NBA while Orlando has now taken over the Celtics for 2nd place in the Eastern Conference. The Magic have nearly taken over the Lakers position as the number 2 team in the NBA and their meeting with Cleveland on Friday night will be a premier battle for the rights to be claimed best in the East. The Cavaliers big winning streak has come from a stretch where they have played 9 of 13 games at home where they have been absolutely unbelievable at 36-1 record. The Cavaliers look to be an extremely tough team to beat looking ahead at the playoff picture if they can wrap up the home court advantage. However, their meeting with Orlando will signify which team is truly playing better despite both teams being dominate in recent weeks. This will be the 3rd meeting of the season between these two teams as they have split the previous meetings with Orlando winning the first game and Cleveland winning the most recent battle. Lebron James posted one of his biggest nights of the year in the meeting back on March 17th knocking down 43 points including a big 3 pointer in the final moments to seal the 97-93 victory. The Cavaliers own the best scoring defense in the league and have not allowed Orlando to reach the century mark in the last two match-ups. The Cavaliers will attempt to have a similar result to the March 17th victory this all but clinch 1st place in the Eastern Conference for the regular season. Orlando has been playing strong as well over recent weeks. The Magic have won 9 of their last 10 games with the only loss during that stretch coming from the Cavaliers. The Magic will try to get a bit of revenge back from that loss over two weeks ago this Friday night when they get the Cavaliers on their home floor. Orlando would nearly have to win out and hope that Cleveland reaches a big stumbling block to have a chance at winning the East outright. However, more importantly this game just maybe a preview of a potential playoff match-up. Dwight Howard is having another superb season leading the league in rebounding (14 RPG) and blocked shots. (2.96 BPG) Howard has averaged 21 points per game this season, but was held to only 13 points against the Cavaliers last time out. Rafer Alston stepped up to have a strong night in the last meeting scoring 23 points Orlando surely hopes he can muster another similar performance. In the Magic’s win over Cleveland, Dwight Howard posted much stronger numbers with 22 points and 18 rebounds and the young superstar will need to be closer to those type numbers to help aid Orlando in a victory this Friday night. Pick – Cleveland just too strong in this one
Cleveland Cavaliers (61-13) vs. Orlando Magic (55-18)
Friday, 8:00PM Eastern
Tags: basketball, Cleveland Cavaliers, nba, Orlando Magic
NBA Betting Preview Bookmaker.com betting line – Boston -2 Eastern Conference bragging rights are on the line this Friday night as two of the top teams in the East square off. The defending champion Boston Celtics are one of the leading favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season especially after Orlando dropped out of the picture. However, the Cleveland Cavaliers will likely be standing in the Celtic’s path to stop them from any repeat hopes. Cleveland owns the best record in the East at 48-12 slightly better than the Celtics and has won 9 of their last 10 games through an impressive stretch of basketball. Friday night’s contest will be interesting to watch to see how both teams stack against each other and give a glimpse of what to expect in the playoffs this season considering many believe these two teams will meet in the post season. The Cleveland Cavaliers have won 4 straight games with their win over Milwaukee on Wednesday night. Cleveland was defeated by the Boston Celtics in their opening game this season, but scored a win when they hosted the Celtics in their 2nd meeting of the season in January. Cleveland owns the NBA’s best all-around defense. The Cavaliers have held opposing teams to only 90 points per game on the season. Cleveland number 1 defense may be surprising considering Boston is the most well known defensive team in the league. Cleveland held the Celtics to only 83 points in their latest win over the Celtics and they will certainly be attempting to shut down the talented Boston lineup again on Friday night. Lebron James scored 38 points in the last meeting and recently posted a big 42 point performance on Monday against Miami. Perhaps, James will have another big night in one of the biggest games on the schedule. Boston trails the Cavaliers scoring defense slightly only allowing 92 points per game on the season. The Celtics premier defense took a hit with the loss of Kevin Garnett. Garnett is one of the best defensive players in the NBA and has been battling a knee injury for nearly two weeks. In Garnett’s absence, the Celtics have been a bit inconsistent giving up 99 points or more in 4 of the last 6 games. Paul Pierce has stepped up on the offensive side of the ball knocking down 20 or more points in 8 of his last 9 games. The Celtics will need one of their featured players to step up on Friday night to compensate for the unsatisfying defensive performances of the last few weeks. Ray Allen really ended the month of February shooting the ball really well, but has been held to only 13 point average over the last two games. If Allen can step in and have a big night along with Pierce, the Celtics will be extremely tough to beat at home. What to watch for… The loss of Kevin Garnett gives Boston a weaker look inside on defense. Expect Cleveland to try and exploit the paint and score some points on some give and go type passes down low. Although the other two games have been both held under the 185 total, this game may go a bit on the higher side. Expect a bit more scoring from both teams rather than the defensive battles that highlighted the first two meetings. Pick – Cleveland -2
Cleveland Cavaliers (48-12) at Boston Celtics (48-14)
8:00PM Eastern, Friday
Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Eastern Conference, nba
NBA Betting Preview  SBG Global Opening Line: Cavaliers - 4 , Total 186.5  The two top scorers in the NBA matchup on Monday as Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade is coming off a 46 point effort on Saturday against the Knicks and has taken over the scoring lead. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Cavaliers on the Road.  This is the third meeting of the season between the Heat and Cavaliers. The series is tied, with each team winning on their home court. The Cavaliers won last year’s season-series, 3-0. The Heat is 42-33 vs. the Cavaliers during the regular season, and is 27-10 in games played in Miami.  Miami came back from 16 points down to defeat the New York Knicks on Saturday by a score of 120-115. The Heat scored 19 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, 15 of which came from Dwyane Wade. It was the third straight double-double for Wade as he finished with 46 points and 10 assists.  Cleveland had to play a tough game last night in Atlanta so they could be a little weary on Monday. The good news for the Cavaliers is that they are 5-1 ATS in their last six games playing on no rest.  Here are more NBA betting stats for Monday’s game. The Cavaliers are 20-8 ATS in their last 28 Monday games. The Cavaliers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers are 36-15 ATS in their last 51 games as a favorite. The Cavaliers are 43-19 ATS in their last 62 games overall. The Cavaliers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Southeast. The Cavaliers are 2-5 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams.  The Heat are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. the Central. The Heat are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The Heat are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games as a home underdog. The underdog is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings between the two teams.  SBG Global Current Line: Cavaliers - 2.5 , Total 186.5  The Over is 5-0 in the Cavaliers last 5 games playing on no rest. The Under is 8-2 in the Cavaliers last 10 vs. the Eastern Conference.  The Over is 6-1-1 in Miami’s last 8 home games. The Over is 5-1 in Miami’s last 6 vs. the Central. The Over is 4-1-1 in Miami’s last 6 overall. The Under is 10-3 in the last 13 meetings in Miami between the two teams.  Pick: Over
Cleveland Cavaliers at Miami Heat
Monday, 7:35 pm Eastern – NBA-TV
Tags: basketball, Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, nba, sports
NBA Betting Preview Thursday, 8:05 pm Eastern – TNT  SBG Global Opening Line: Cavaliers - 2 , Total 184  The Houston Rockets are playing their best basketball of the season, having won five straight games. “Our record doesn’t show it, but we’re starting to show the type of team we are,” Ron Artest said, “We’re starting to come together.” Artest has averaged 20.2 points per game recently and the Rockets are now 16-6 without the injured Tracy McGrady in the starting lineup. Houston faces another team playing well on Thursday night as they host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland has also won their last five games. SBG Global reports that early NBA betting has the public taking Cavaliers on the Road.  Cleveland has been fantastic at home this season but only so-so on the road. They have a very tough road trip beginning tonight in Houston. The Cavaliers will also face San Antonio, Atlanta and Miami on this trip. They will also go to Boston late next week. The Cavaliers have won seven of their last nine games on the road.  The Cavaliers could be without starting guard Delonte West on Thursday. “As far as I know, it’s a maintenance thing,” head coach Mike Brown said. “He had his wrist immobilized for a few weeks. It might be something he has to deal with (the rest of the season.)” The Cavaliers got 19 points out of guard Daniel Gibson on Tuesday. “I told him it was about time he started making shots,” James said, “We need that out of him.”  The Rockets have won 17 of the last 20 home games against Cleveland. Here are more NBA betting stats for Thursday’s game. The Cavaliers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 vs. the Southwest. The Cavaliers are 15-5 ATS in their last 20 vs. the Western Conference. The Cavaliers are 3-9 ATS in their last 12 Thursday games. The Cavaliers are 0-4 ATS in the last 4 meetings in Houston.  The Rockets are 25-9-3 ATS in their last 37 Thursday games. The Rockets are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 home games. The Rockets are 1-5-1 ATS in their last 7 vs. the Central. The home team is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 meetings between the two teams.  SBG Global Current Line: Cavaliers - 2.5 , Total 185.5  The Under is 5-2 in the Cavaliers last 7 overall. The Over is 6-0 in the Rockets last 6 Thursday games. The Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings in Houston between the two teams.  Pick: Cavs
Cleveland Cavaliers (44-11) at Houston Rockets (36-21)
Tags: basketball, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, nba, sports
