Posted on
4/18/2008 2:17:37 PM
NBA Basketball Betting Preview – Cavs Meet the Wizards
By Charles Jay
NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs
CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (45-37 SU, 37-45 ATS) vs. WASHINGTON WIZARDS (43-39 SU, 46-35-1 ATS)
BetUS NBA Betting Odds
Series Price
CLEVELAND -120
WASHINGTON -110
The Schedule:
Game 1 — April 19 Wizards at Cavaliers, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2 — April 21 Wizards at Cavaliers, 7:00 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3 — April 24 Cavaliers at Wizards, 8:00 p.m. (TNT)
Game 4 — April 27 Cavaliers at Wizards, 1:00 p.m. (ABC)
Game 5 (if necessary) — April 30 Wizards at Cavaliers TBD
Game 6 (if necessary) — May 2 Cavaliers at Wizards TBD
Game 7 (if necessary) — May 4 Wizards at Cavaliers TBD
Cleveland has eliminated Washington from the playoffs the last two seasons; last year it was a sweep, when Washington was handicapped by not having either Gilbert Arenas or Caron Butler available. Now Arenas, Butler and Antawn Jamison are all together and all relatively healthy. That gives the Wizards some admirable balance. And by the way, don't forget about Brendan Haywood, who overcame a lot of criticism for being lazy to have a solid season, posting averages of 10.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks.
Meanwhile, more balance is exactly what the Cavs are seeking. Before the trade deadline, there was a lot of new blood brought in - point guard Delonte West, swingman Wally Szczerbiak, forward Joe Smith and center Ben Wallace. Backup front court man Anderson Varejao played a little over half the season. There is talent, and at least on paper, there is depth. But none of this produced the kind of results that were expected. Maybe that shouldn't be a big surprise; after all, that's about half a roster having to adjust to each other in a short period of time. And on top of that, there is a dominant offensive presence in LeBron James, who is a blessing and a curse in that, yes, he is the kind of impact player that can carry a team on his shoulders (who can forget his performances in last year's playoffs?), but he is so omnipresent that it doesn't often allow for other players to really blend in the way they should. James averages 30 points a game, and the next guy down the list for the Cavs is center Zydrunas Ilgauskas with just 14. Cleveland grabbed 53.2% of available rebounds, a surprising figure that was best in the NBA. But the Cavs shot just 43.9% as a team, and they were weak from beyond the arc.
There are some banged-up people for Cleveland - that includes Sasha Pavlovic - and walking wounded such as Wallace, an all-star for Detroit in the past but clearly showing some wear-and-tear. He averaged 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks and battled back problems. Washington has that dynamic pair of forwards in Butler and Jamison (10.2 rpg) that is going to pose some matchup difficulty for Cleveland. If those guys can make LeBron work on the defensive end (does he ever?), that will be a big bonus. Remember that the home court "edge" is not huge for the Cavs, and that Washington, when healthy, has been very tough - in fact, tough enough to have beaten the Celtics three times after the opening night humiliation. There is the same kind of vengeful spirit in the locker room, and inasmuch as they catch Cleveland "changing on the fly," they will have an opportunity to pull off what may be considered a mild upset in many circles.
JAY'S PREDICTION:
WASHINGTON (-110) IN SEVEN GAMES
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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com is a freelance writer and handicapper who not only can make his shots from the top of the key, but also contributes with gusto to the BetUS Locker Room)