The Warriors (mainly Steph Curry) made sure that game 2 was not going beyond regulation, like on their previous game. The Cavs looked drained and tired by the end and with the clock winding down you could see that the players had already mentally checked out. Now the series moves to Cleveland and if the Cavs want to make something happen this series, game 3 will be crucial. A win here could give a much needed morale boost for game 4.
Looking among the lines for the best betting sites on the web, the Cavaliers are home dogs against the Warriors. The line opened up at -5.5 for Golden State and has shifted to -4.5, very likely sharp money will come late and move the spread a point or so. But I don’t expect the spread to get any lower than 4.
What to Expect in NBA Finals Game 3
Expect this game to be dictated by LeBron’s determination, the king will not be denied and we might see one of his all time performances. However, Love, Korver and Smith will have to step up and rise to the occasion, because as much as I would like to see James win this one by himself, the supporting cast needs to produce more, at the very least just enough for LeBron to carry them to their first win of the series. That’s why I never bought in the “Warriors in 4 nonsense” I kept seeing in social media. Don’t rule the King out, never ever ever do that.
Despite all this I do think that the Cavaliers are taking this game straight up, currently Intertops, one of the best online sportsbooks, has the moneyline at +160 for Cleveland. A very attractive price that could and should get some action now if you can.
Best online sportsbook betting odds:
- Golden State Warriors -4½ (-110) 216½ (-110) -185
- Cleveland Cavaliers +4½ (-110) 216½ (-110) +160
‘But, what about the Warriors?’ You might be asking. Well, to be frank, as great as a team they might be, they tend to take off their foot off the pedal, and with two days rest I think that the Cavaliers will have a more even playing field. The Cavaliers are coming in hot and will want to (literally) ‘punch’ the Warriors on the mouth early, and not let this game to slip by them. It might no be a flashy game and the Total of 216 seems a bit high for me, however I would stay away from a O/U wager.
However, I don’t think the Cavaliers will tie the series on Game 4 as I don’t think the roster depth of the Cavaliers is anywhere close to the Warriors’, and that sort of thing gets you championship rings. But, current trends and both teams’ ATS records with two day rest games favor slightly the Cavs.
Furthermore, I would lay a bet for the third quarter to go ‘Over’, as it is the quarter where the Warriors tend to explode and Cleveland will want to match them offensively. Expect LeBron to have a monster 3rd quarter and respond in full. Currently the best online sportsbooks don’t have lines for this quarter but when the do be sure to catch the Over 50 points.
