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Golden State Warriors will host the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second and last regular season meeting between these two, before the highly anticipated matchup that will probably happen in the NBA finals. One month ago the Cavs defeated Golden State 109-108, with the Warriors blowing a 14 point 4th quarter lead in Cleveland.
The Warriors (34-6, 18-3 home) have not played particularly well lately, but they did play solid basketball and did the job done, winning 7 out of their last 8. Their 20 point win over Detroit in their last match three days ago was solid and Golden State did well recently to avoid blowing leads in the 4th quarter, which has been a trend in December and early January – including in their 1 point loss to the Cavs at Cleveland.
Cleveland (29-10, 11-7 away) is on the back of a 12 point win at Sacramento two days ago, in the middle of a difficult road trip in which Cleveland already lost twice. The Cavs had their stars James, Irving and Love starting in that game after they rarely played together recently, with Irving being injured and James rested in some games. New addition Kyle Korver was also in and had a great game to help Cleveland win after 2 consecutive losses.
Bet on Golden State – Cleveland and get your 100% (100 Eur) bonus at Ohmbet now!Cleveland has won the last 4 H2H meetings against Golden State, coming back from a 1-3 deficit in last season’s NBA finals and coming back from a 4th quarter 14 point deficit last month in Cleveland, in the only H2H meeting this season
I backed Golden State to beat the Cavs in Cleveland last month and they were on track to do that, leading by 14 points in the 4th quarter. However, a late collapse allowed the Cavs to win by 1, as the Warriors were barely able to make any field goals in the last 10 minutes or so. Most saw that as a proof that Cleveland got into Golden State’s head, I simply saw it as Golden State losing by 1 on the road despite not playing great.
There`s no doubt that both teams will be up for this game as it is the biggest match of the regular season, but you have to feel that Golden State has an edge in the fitness / motivation department, looking at the recent events.
The Warriors have a huge chip on their shoulder after losing the last 4 against Cleveland, including last year`s NBA finals and the recent 1 point loss in Cleveland after they blew a late 14 point lead. They will have a massive chip on their shoulder and Warriors alway respond big time when they have something to prove – just like they did last month in Cleveland, when they dominated the game and only lost by 1 due to a strange collapse in crunch time.
Additionally, Golden State has 1 extra day of rest compared to Cleveland and the Cavs are on the end of a long, grueling road trip. Cleveland had their main guys hurt recently, they definitely do not look as fit as Golden State and they play away. I reckon this stuff will make the difference in a game of fine margins.
I also believe that the recent addition of Kyle Korver, a solid addition, will hurt the Cavs in this game – as they will have to modify their rotation against the mighty Golden State without any previous experience of how things will go. Korver is a big piece and he will create value for the Cavs, but he must be integrated in the system first. Cavs beat Golden State last month mainly because the Warriors didn’t know how to play in clutch time with their own addition of Durant.
It`s worth noting that Warriors are a total beast at home, while Cavs are a road-shy team.
As long as Golden State plays the game they are good at and not rely on Durant ISO in the 4th quarter (like they did in Cleveland), they should be more than fine here. The Warriors have recently reverted to their DNA game, letting Curry run the show, with him and Thompson taking more shots, and they saw it worked well with 4 wins in a row – so I believe they will play their game tonight.
I have bet on the Warriors in most recent games against the Cavs and I will do it today again, maybe with the highest confidence I ever had in their win. I feel compelled to say that this is (obviously) not a “sure bet”, in case anybody gets too excited about my analysis, but I`m looking at the Warriors to cover the -7 point spread with maximum stakes. I`m comfortable with the -7,5 as well, but I`m choosing extra security.
I believe the Warriors will prove their superiority over Cleveland here and will make a statement at Oracle Arena. The last 4 Warriors wins against the Cavs all came by 10+ points. My tip is Warriors to cover the 7 point handicap. Prediction: Golden State Warriors – Cleveland Cavaliers 118 – 102.
Pick: Warriors -7
Odds: 1.85 @ SlBet
Stake: 10
Possible profit: 8.50
Event date: 17 January
