Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics
The Eastern Conference Finals is back on neutral territory, and Boston are bracing themselves for what is bound to be a tense game at the TD Garden.
LeBron James took what is supposed to be a dire situation for the Cavs into a series where we don’t know who will make it out of the Eastern Conference. Basketball betting will surely get interesting as the series head back to Beantown.
If things go the way they did in the previous matches, then Boston should be able to pull off the impressive streak of beating LeBron. However, I don’t think the King and his Cavaliers will let that happen.
Will we hear joy or despair ring in New England?
Talking Points
We cannot ignore the fact that LeBron bullied his way back to the conversation. His sheer presence in the floor immediately makes the Cavaliers an instant contender that can duke it out with the best of them. His stat line for this year’s postseason leaves nothing to be desired.
He leads the Cavaliers in almost every significant statistic, making play after play to keep the Wine and Gold afloat. He has proven himself to be the only consistent bright spot in a Cavalier team that would struggle to win without him.
It’s going to be unbelievable to hear these words being said in this order, but LeBron James’ 44-point outing was a little disappointment. Of course, every single point was vital in the Cavaliers’ victory, but the fans got used to James doing everything on his own. The fact that he didn’t at least flirt with a double-double by trusting his team-mates was an odd sight to behold for casual fans and betting sites.
Speaking of which, I think it is also important to talk about the rest of the Cleveland team playing up to LeBron’s expectations the same way they did in Game 3. Tristan Thompson, George Hill and Kyle Korver were instrumental in the Cavaliers’ Game 4 triumph. While Kevin Love had a relatively quiet game, he brought rebounding and defence to help LeBron and the Cavs secure the victory.
The Cavaliers executed their game plan well, and there was nothing the Celtics could do about it. While Brad Stevens and company tried everything they could to get back in the game, and his young core tried to respond to his calls. However, Tyronn Lue’s game-planning kept Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier struggling in check.
The Celtics also need to address their aggression in Game 5. Stevens probably hurt when he saw the C’s get slapped with 26 personal fouls, way above their postseason average. With players like Brown, Marcus Morris and Marcus Smart dealing with foul trouble, the Celtics found it hard to keep James and Thompson from bullying their way inside.
History
While the Cavaliers will still have a tough time at the TD, the pressure is on the C’s. They weren’t able to do anything against LeBron at home, and the amount of momentum the Wine and Gold are riding will be hard to interrupt.
Boston fans that are obsessed with statistics are probably shaking in their boots now that the series is all tied up. Of course, the reason for their fears is James the Bogeyman: LeBron James has never lost an Eastern Conference playoff series where his team was trailing from a 2-1 deficit.
The Celtics also have to be careful with letting the Cavaliers run loose on their home turf. The last time the King’s supporting staff came to play, they used the rags that were once the Toronto Raptors to clean the Q.
However, the series is still in favour of the Boston Green. If we look at the results of the last four games, the home team always win. The Celtics are also dominant from home, never losing a home game this offseason. If Stevens and the rest of the C’s manage to keep this trend running, then the series is Boston’s to lose.
However, it is important to remember that it is almost impossible to just hope and contain the monster that is LeBron James. The 15-year-old veteran, who just surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabar in all-time postseason field goals made, claims that he is not a scorer despite dropping 44 on the C’s.
LeBron James, the man who averages 34 points in 15 playoff games, is not a scorer. It’s hard to wrap your head around that.
What are the odds?
The casual fan would think that the advantage has shifted back to Boston, but many a sportsbook do not doubt LeBron. The Cavaliers get a nice 2.44 from a -1.50 Asian Handicap, with the bookies respecting the steam the Cavs are currently riding on. However, the Celtics are not far behind in the books: Beantown gets 1.97 for +1.00.
Given their last four meetings, I don’t doubt the potential of this game to be another high-scoring affair. Over 206.50 @ 1.94 is not a punt that fans should shy away from, in my opinion.
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
