The Golden State Warriors were on fire to start the NBA Finals as they completely dominated the Cleveland Cavaliers at home. Now, the Warriors head to Cleveland starting with Game 3 on Wednesday, and the Cavs need everyone on deck to stop this from being a sweep.
Why The Cleveland Cavaliers Can Cover The Spread…
The Cavaliers are actually 3-point underdogs at home against the Warriors, who were also 3.5-point favorites when they went to Cleveland on Christmas Day. The Cavaliers ended up pulling that game out by a score of 109-108 as LeBron James had 31 points and 13 rebounds, while Kyrie Irving had 25 points, 10 assists, six rebounds, and the late game-winner with 3.4 seconds left. That should give them a little bit of hope, but in reality, the Cavaliers need to be much better on defense if they’re going to have a chance at making this series competitive. The Warriors scored 113 in Game 1, and went off for 132 in Game 2 as the Cavaliers’ much-maligned defense couldn’t keep up with Golden State. Everyone knows that the Cavaliers can score points with James and Irving leading the way, and the role players should be better at home. However, none of that matters unless the Cavaliers improve defensively.
Why The Golden State Warriors Can Cover The Spread…
The Cavaliers’ best chance against the Warriors might be to pray. Kevin Durant has been amazing over the first two games with 35.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, and 7.0 assists, but he also had five blocks in Game 2’s rout, and he has been an all-around force. Stephen Curry has put up 30.0 points, 10.5 assists, and 8.0 rebounds and had a triple-double in Game 2, and really, if these guys are playing like this, the Warriors can not only cover, they can run away with it. However, they’ll need to concentrate a little more away from home, and Draymond Green and Klay Thompson have to raise their game some to take some of the pressure off the superstars, who are going to get more attention on the road.
Outlook
Cleveland has split their last 10 games at home with Golden State at 5-5 SU, but they’re 6-4 ATS, which is encouraging. The Cavaliers have actually won and covered in three of their last four at home with the Warriors, and the Christmas Day win is important because it was their first game against the Warriors with Durant, who had 36 points and 15 rebounds in that game to make up for a struggling Curry. However, Curry won’t have another 15-point game and the Warriors were just figuring out how to work with Curry and Durant in the lineup together, and now they seem to have it down to a science as the Cleveland defense is scrambling, especially when the Warriors are in transition? Can the Cavaliers cover? Sure, anything is possible. But the way the Warriors have been playing in this series, it’s tough to bet against anything but a Golden State win. It might take Herculean efforts from James and Irving just to keep it close.
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