Monday may not have offered much to get excited about but that certainly isn’t the case today, with the headline act being a Cavaliers home game against their conquerors from the 2015 NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors. That match is one of two that The Big Dog has found some value in, with the other expected to be a much more lop-sided affair.
Brooklyn Nets @ Toronto Raptors
The Toronto Raptors started their current four-game winning streak with an all-the-way victory in Brooklyn and look to make it five in a row when the Nets come to town, in less than stellar form. The visitors have lost seven of their last eight, a slump that has ultimately cost coach Lionel Hollins his job. Across the board, this game has no reason to be close. The Raptors score 4.7 more points per game and allow 6.2 less than the Nets, who have won only four of their nineteen road games. Toronto have been solid at Air Canada Centre (11-6) and should feel confident of improving that record, after they won every quarter on the way to a 91-74 win, when these teams met on January 6th. With even-money odds being offered for a repeat of that result, The Big Dog isn’t shying away from making this the play of the day.
Selection
Toronto Raptors Leads Match At The End Of All 4 Quarters (Wire To Wire) @ $2.02 (William Hill)
Golden State Warriors @ Cleveland Cavaliers
The Golden State Warriors still have the best record in the NBA… but they’ve also lost their last two away from Oracle Arena, the most recent of which was flat-out ugly. On “Ben Wallace Night” at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the defending champions were dominated by the Detroit Pistons in the final three quarters of a 113-95 loss. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson combined for 62 points on 21 of 44 shooting but the rest of the Warriors could manage only 13 of 50, as the team shot a season-worst 36.2 percent from the floor. The question is, does this make today the best or the worst time to face Golden State? The Big Dog is going with the latter. The Warriors have no fear of playing at Quicken Loans Arena, having won the last two times they’ve played there and they find themselves in the usual position of having to right the ship, after dropping two of their last three. Golden State’s 89-83 win over the Cavaliers on Christmas Day was their fourth in a row in the series, as the deadly tandem of LeBron James and Kyrie Irving were restricted to 14 of 41 from the field. Harrison Barnes was not available for that game but will form part of the committee in charge of making sure LeBron continues to struggle against the Warriors. The Big Dog thinks the odds available for the team with the best record in the league are downright silly and with Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and the Splash Brothers holding a significant psychological edge over Cleveland, reports of the champions’ demise will prove to be greatly exaggerated.
Selection
Golden State Warriors @ $2.30 (Luxbet)
Tools
