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The Cavs will host Boston in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, looking to bounce back after losing Game 3 in one of the biggest shocks in NBA playoffs history.
Lebron James and the Cavs utterly destroyed the Celtics in the first two games in Boston, winning by 13 and 44 points respectively, and more of the same was expected as the series moved to Cleveland. Everything seemed to go according to plan in Game 3, with Cavs leading from the start and apparently cruising towards another blowout, up by 21 points midway trough the third. However, they somehow managed to lose the game on the last possession, 108 – 111.
Not only did Boston find a way to make a shock comeback against a vastly superior opponent, against whom they don`t even match up well, but they did it without their best player. Isaiah Thomas injured himself in Game 2 and has been ruled out for the rest of the playoffs, so the Celtics had to grind it out without him – and they showed immense character to do it.
Bet on Cavaliers vs Celtics and claim your 100% (100 Eur) freebet at Ohmbet now!Team news: Thomas is out after his Game 2 injury and will miss the rest of the series for Boston.
All credit to Boston for pulling off a monumental upset, especially after being down by 21 midway through the third. They were lucky to win, as the game winner was a fortunate shot, but deserved victory nonetheless for the way they fought and believed in themselves.
However, when all is said and done, fact is that it was just one of those nights. Boston got incredible production from bench players like Jerebko or Smart, who shot 12/16 combined, when their combined average per game in the regular season was 5/13. Smart, a 28% three point shooter, shot 7/10 from three!
Boston will surely not get anywhere near the same numbers from guys like Smart, Jerebko or Olynik and what`s worse, they will have to deal with a Lebron James who is looking for redemption. James scored 11 points on 4/12 shooting and not due to being defended particularly well, but due to being passive and soft. Lebron almost looked like he was sick, and he is sure to come back strong today.
You can imagine what kind of difference a normal game from Lebron would make, as he averages 32 ppg on 55% shooting in the playoffs, compared to the 11 points on 33% shooting in Game 3. A superficial but valid analysis will tell us that an average Lebron James performance, compared to Boston’s role players returning to their normal production, could mean a 40 or so point swing in this Game 4 compared to Game 3.
I backed Cleveland to cover a 16 point spread in Game 3↗ and I was way off, but I think the bet made sense and I`m happy to back Cleveland again, especially as the line is now a bit lower. The arguments presented in that pick remain valid. The matchup is the same, Isaiah Thomas is still out, the difference between the two teams stays the same and, if anything, Cavs should be more motivated and extra focused this time around. They still had a 21 point lead in the 3rd quarter of that game, they just got soft or relaxed in the final stages.
My tip is Cleveland to cover the 14 point handicap, Boston normally has no answer for this Cavs team. The Celtics were destroyed for 10 and a half quarters in this series and only dominated the last quarter and a half of Game 3.
Look for Lebron to bounce back after his horrible Game 3 performance, look for the Cavs to be more focused and show more killer instinct, while Boston will not get the same insane production from their role players. High stakes on the bet, but keeping them at a reasonable level as 14,5 points is still a dangerous line. Prediction: Cleveland Cavaliers – Boston Celtics 122 – 98.
Pick: Cavaliers -14,5
Odds: 1.97 @ 1xBet
Stake: 8
Possible profit: 7.76
Event date: 24 May
