Posted on
5/16/2008 1:54:58 PM
NBA Basketball Free Picks – Cavs Need Win Against Celtics
By Eric Williams
While Cleveland Cavaliers, (51-42 SU, 45-48 ATS, 42-49-2 O/U) superstar LeBron James said, following his team’s 96-89 Game 5 loss to the Boston Celtics, (73-21 SU, 57-35-2 ATS, 42-51-1 O/U) on Wednesday, that “A LeBron James team is never desperate” the Cavaliers are as close as it gets to needing a win before being unceremoniously bounced out of the 2007-08 NBA playoffs. Online betting fans of the Cavaliers are nail biting.
To make matters worse for the Cavaliers is the fact that the sports betting favored Celtics finally got back to looking like the team that won a league-high 66 games during the regular season, making the extra pass on offense while turning up their defensive intensity to a frightening level.
Additionally, the Cavaliers will be without one of their best perimeter shooters in backup point guard Daniel Gibson who suffered a dislocated shoulder in Game 5, prompting James to say that the team will sorely miss the fine shooter who made two 3-pointers and scored 14 points in Cleveland's win in Game 4.
"It's something we didn't want to happen," James said following a light workout Thursday. "It's kind of the tale of our season - a guy goes down in the heat of a playoff series. He's very key to our team. It's not good seeing a guy who is that key to your team in a suit."
Despite scoring 35 points on 12-of-25 shooting from the field in Game 5, the Celtics have routinely shut James down and will likely have an easier time tonight with Gibson on the sidelines, though James said it will take a team effort to beat Boston.
"We're not looking for a spectacular game from anybody," said James. "We just want to continue to do what we've been doing in the two wins we've had at home - guys stepped up. We're not looking for a guy to go out and score 30 points or anything like that."
The Celtics got solid performances from their ‘Big Three’ of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, but got their best performance from point guard Rajon Rondo who scored 20 points, handed out 13 assists, made two steals and had two emphatic blocks and just one turnover in 42 minutes.
Rondo, nailed two 3-pointers just before halftime to get the Celtics and their crowd back into a game they had been losing by a dozen points.
"If they're going to leave him open, I want him to shoot it," Rivers said. "But I don't want him to look for it."
The Celtics are still seeking their first road win of the playoffs after being pushed to seven games in the first round against the Atlanta Hawks. However, since the start of the second round, home teams are 19-1 with only the Detroit Pistons winning on the road.
"I guess we could bring the scorekeepers, and bring all the wives on the road," he said. "We're not going to do that. We're just going to show up and play basketball."
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends, followed by my analysis and NBA Betting Picks.
The Celtics are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games as an underdog.
The Celtics are 40-16 ATS in their last 56 games as a road underdog.
The Cavaliers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as a home favorite of 0.5-4.5.
The Cavaliers are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 playoff games as a favorite of 0.5-4.5.
The Over is 4-1 in Celtics last 5 road games.
The Under is 5-1 in Cavaliers last 6 games following a ATS win.
The Underdog is 8-3-1 ATS in the last 12 meetings.
The Celtics are 2-6 ATS in the last 8 meetings in Cleveland.
Analysis: Could this be the road game that the Celtics finally win? As veteran NBA announcer Marv Albert would say … ‘Yes!’ I liked the Celtics to win Game 3 in Cleveland before coming back to my senses, but really think the Celtics are going to close out LeBron James and Co. at home tonight, particularly with ‘Boobie’ Gibson out for the Cavaliers. Take the Celtics to shut up all the naysayer’s by, not only winning their first road game of the 2007-08 playoffs, but also by sending James home packing on his home floor.
NBA Free Picks: Celtics +3 Points/Under 178½ Total Points
08:05 PM EST NBA Odds
Boston Celtics +3 -110
Cleveland Cavaliers -3 -110
Over 178½ -110
Under 178½ -110
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