Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors (-11.5, 214.5)
Warriors lead series 1-0
The Cleveland Cavaliers got two days off to digest the mistakes made down the stretch that allowed the Golden State Warriors to escape with a win in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals and put it behind them. The Cavaliers will get another chance to steal homecourt advantage when they visit the Warriors for Game 2 on Sunday. **video
Cleveland had a chance to take the lead at the end of regulation, but JR Smith dribbled out the clock instead of putting up a shot after securing an offensive rebound and the Cavaliers went on to suffer a 124-114 defeat in overtime to heavily-favored Golden State. "We lost a tough game. It's over. It's behind us," Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue told reporters. "We did a lot of great things in that game, so we've got to carry it over. We've got to play better on Sunday. We've got to expect that they're going to play better, so we have to play better on Sunday. I know we're capable of doing that." The Warriors were never publicly among those that thought the series would be a runaway victory and keeping their collective feet on the gas in Game 2 is a priority. "I know their goal is to come to Oracle and just get one (game)," Golden State guard Klay Thompson told reporters. "So, we have to have it in the back of our minds that we want to protect home court. And if we don't take care of business Sunday, we obviously lose that advantage. Game 1 is over with. I do not expect them to still be deflated. I expect them to play with great energy out of the gate on Sunday."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC
LINE HISTORY: Game 2 opened with the exact same NBA Odds as Game 1 with the Warriors opening as 12.5-point home favorites. But bettors were quick to fade the champs after their less-than-impressive Game 1 performance, moving the number to -12 and eventually -11.5. That's where the number sits as of Saturday evening. The total hit the board at 215.5 and has dropped slightly to 214.5. Check out the complete line history here.
WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Cleveland blew a chance to steal Game 1 on the road when J.R. Smith decided to dribble out without realizing the game was still tied. Cleveland was noticeably flat thereafter and did not score for the first 50% of overtime. The question now becomes if the Cavaliers can regroup and if LeBron James can once again dominate Game 2 like he did when he scored 51 points in Game 1." - Covers Experts' Steve Merril.
WHAT BOOKS SAY: "Opened Golden State as a 12.5-point favorite for Game 2, and we saw immediate action on the visitors. We had to quickly adjust the line down a half-point, but action kept coming in on Cleveland until it hit 11. Today, we have seen some of our sharps buy back and that has raised the number back up to 11.5. Right now, 61 percent of the handle is on the Cavs, so we are pulling for the Warriors tonight. We're also keeping a close eye on the status of Klay Thompson. We're preparing to move the spread and total a bit if both he and Andre Iguodala are unable to play tonight." - Jacob Crossman, odds consultant at BetDSI.
MATCHUP CHART:
INJURY REPORT:
Cavaliers - No injuries to report.
Warriors - SG Klay Thompson (Probable, ankle), SF Andre Iguodala (Out, leg), SF Chris Boucher (Out, ankle).
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (63-29, 41-59-1 ATS, 47-52-2 O/U): Cleveland superstar LeBron James turned in one of the great performances in NBA Finals history in Game 1 with 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, but he might have to play even better going forward. "I hope so," Lue joked when asked if James could play any better. "I know that's asking a lot. But we need him to lead by example, being aggressive, attacking the basket. We know they're going to come and help. They're a help team, and guys are going to get shots. If you don't have a shot, you've got to put it on the floor and make another play. He did that last night, and he has to keep it up." James could use more help on the offensive end after being joined in double figures by just Kevin Love (21 points) and Smith (10) in Game 1.
ABOUT THE WARRIORS (71-29, 43-56-1 ATS, 45-54-1 O/U): Golden State shot 51.1 percent from the floor and 95 percent from the free-throw line while committing just eight turnovers in Game 1 but was still pushed to overtime, in part because Cleveland dominated on the boards with 19 offensive rebounds. "The glaring weakness on film was our lack of aggression on the boards," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters. "That's something we've got to clean up." Stephen Curry led the offense with 29 points and nine assists while Draymond Green turned in a strong all-around performance with 13 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists, five steals and a pair of blocks. Kevin Durant went 1-of-7 from 3-point range in Game 1 and is shooting 31.7 percent from beyond the arc in the postseason.
COVERS CONSENSUS: The public was surley impressed by LeBron's performance in Game 1 and are backing the King to the tune of 66 percent of wagers. This isn't surprising considering the line moves mentioned above. When it comes to the total, 64 percent of wagers are on the Over. Check out the complete and up to date consensus data here.
TRENDS:
* Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Warriors are 0-5 ATS in last five vs. Central Division opponents.
* Over is 5-0 in Cavaliers and Warriors last five Finals games.
* Under is 7-1 in Warriors last eight when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
* Under is 8-3-2 in the last 13 meetings in Golden State.
