The Golden State Warriors remain the basketball gambling favourites to win the NBA Finals, and the Cleveland Cavalier’s epic, heroic, glorious, victorious game 4 performance could be a flash in the pan, but at least the Cavs ruined the Dubs’ perfect playoff record – and that alone is cause for celebration. The Warriors failed to become the first team to complete a postseason undefeated, but they can still become the first team to blow a 3-0 lead in the playoffs. The question entering game 5 tonight is, can LeBron James continue to Tom Brady the hell out of this series?
Time: 9:05 PM
Venue: Oracle Arena
Sportsbook NBA online betting odds:
Cavaliers +8½ (-110) 230½ (-110) +270
Warriors -8½ (-110) 230½ (-110) -330
Cleveland
Key players: James had 31 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists for his ninth triple-double in the finals, thus breaking Magic Johnson’s record. The King is averaging 32.5 points per game; the most by any player in NBA history when faced with elimination. He even assisted himself on a dunk. Really, what more can you ask from LeBron, except maybe feeding 5,000 people with five loaves and two fish?
“We have championship DNA,” the King said. “We showed that tonight. We just kept our composure. We shared the ball, we moved the ball and defensively we were physical. It’s one game.”
Additionally, Kyrie Irving scored 40 points to help the Cavs post a Finals record 86 points in the first half. Kevin Love converted six three-point shots and scored 23 points while J.R. Smith – about whom head coach Tyronn Lue was right to keep in the starting lineup – nailed five of Cleveland’s 24 treys, which is another Finals record.
NBA online betting odds trends: The Cavs have won 13 of their last 17 overall games and seven of their last nine on the road. Cleveland has only covered in two of the last seven games, but LeBron & Co. are too busy being the David to the Warriors’ Goliath – or the Ulysses to their Polyphemus if you’re a pagan – to be worrying about the spread. The basketball gambling total has gone over in 80% of the Cavs’ last five games and over in two thirds of their last six on the road.
Golden State
Key players: Stephen Curry underwhelmed again with a paltry 14 points on 4-for-13 shooting. Center Zaza Pachulia went all Chong Li (you break my record, now I break you, like I break Kawhi Leonard) and took two shots at Iman Shumpert’s groin during a pileup of players. Apparently, Zaza has been trained not just to sic, but to sic specific parts of the human anatomy. Like Chopper in Stand By Me.
NBA online betting odds trends: The basketball gambling total has gone over in eight of the Warriors’ last nine games, over in four of their last five at home, and under in six of their last eight times hosting the Cavaliers.