After a Saturday without NBA (thank the god of your choosing for the footy), the action continues today with Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers hold a commanding 2-0 lead over the Toronto Raptors, who now host the next pair of games. Will the change of host country lead to a change in the series?
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Toronto Raptors
The short answer is… no. The Cavaliers are 10-0 in this playoffs run and have looked exceptionally comfortable in the first two games of this series, winning by an aggregate of 50 points. The story only gets worse for the Raptors when you look at Cleveland’s two previous Game 3 results, wins by 10 and 13 points respectively… and worse still when you consider that Toronto lost their first home game in each of their previous two series, by at least six points. Those facts on their own make a solid case for laying the points spread in this game… but for fans of the home team, there’s even more reason for concern. Kyle Lowry has been ice-cold in the last two games. The two-time All-Star has made just 8 of his 28 shots, including 1 of 15 from beyond the arc, while his backup, Corey Joseph, is a team-worst -37 in 42 minutes of playing time. Centre Bismack Biyombo has collected just nine rebounds in the series to date, while starting in place of the injured Jonas Valanciunas. Simply put, this one is a no-brainer. There are simply too many aspects that require a significant turnaround from one game to the next, to suggest anything other than a third Cavaliers win. Load up on this conservative spread, while you can. The Big Dog has already seen it move out by a full point, with some betting agencies.
Selection
Cleveland Cavaliers -5.5 @ $1.95 (Ladbrokes)
Tools
Results Spreadsheet
