Posted on
4/11/2008 4:16:05 PM
NBA Basketball Wagering – Cleveland Cavaliers at Chicago Bulls
By Eric Williams
While the Chicago Bulls, (30-48 SU, 33-45 ATS, 39-36-3 O/U), have absolutely nothing to play for other than pride at this point of their highly disappointing season, the highly touted and online sports betting favorite Cleveland Cavaliers, (43-35 SU, 36-42 ATS, 37-39-2 O/U) are trying to secure the fourth seed in the eastern conference while getting their fairly, newly formed team on the same page prior to the postseason.
While the Cavaliers snapped a two-game losing streak in the BetUS Sportsbook in their last contest, beating the mediocre New Jersey Nets 104-83 on Wednesday, Cleveland is struggling mightily, having lost five of their last eight games while superstar LeBron James tries to deal with his ailing back spasms.
"We needed this win," said James on Wednesday.
Cleveland’s best player said that resting his back before the playoffs is not an option and that he will play through the pain.
"Right now we're a team where we need to catch a grove," James said. "Me sitting out is not going to help that."
The Bulls were eliminated from playoff contention with Tuesday’s 95-88 loss to the lowly Miami Heat before following that up with a 115-83 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
"I feel like we're not really playing with a lot of pride and respect for the jersey in front of us," said Bulls rookie Joakim Noah, one of the few Bulls players who is still going all-out on every possession. "It's just hard because you can't point at anybody individually, it's just the togetherness of the team is bad."
The Bulls have dropped three straight and seven of ten while going 3-7 against the spread. Cleveland is just 5-5 in its last ten games and an uninspiring 4-6 against the spread over the same span.
Here is a look at tonight’s key trends followed by my NBA Gambling Free Picks:
The Cavaliers are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games playing on one days rest.
The Cavaliers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite.
The Bulls are 4-1 ATS in their last five games as a home underdog of 0.5-4.5.
The Bulls are 8-2 ATS in their last ten games following a SU loss of more than 10 points.
The Under is 7-1 in Cavaliers last eight games playing on one days rest.
The Under is 7-1 in Bulls last eight games as a home underdog.
The Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings in Chicago.
The Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
Analysis: Forget the fact that LeBron James is hurting … this is a simple pick here NBA bettors. The Bulls probably couldn’t beat a bunch of middle schoolers at this point and certainly aren’t worth wagering on. Take the Cavs to cover in a cakewalk.
NBA Free Picks: Cleveland -4½ Points/Under 197 Total Points
07:05 PM EST NBA Odds
Cleveland Cavaliers -4½ -110
Chicago Bulls +4½ -110
Over 197 -110
Under 197 -110
You’ll find the latest 2007-2008 NBA odds and lines in the best online sportsbook, BetUS.com. Betting on NBA player and game props makes every aspect of the game exciting. Join BetUS.com today to bet on the NBA and make online sports betting work for you!