JR Smith #5 of the Cleveland Cavaliers dribbles in the closing seconds of regulation as LeBron James #23 attempts direct the offense against the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on May 31, 2018 in Oakland, California.

NBA Finals Game 2 Betting Preview: How Will Cavs Respond After Smith's Blunder?

After a valiant effort was foiled by a disastrous end to the fourth quarter in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers look to wipe the slate clean and start over in Game 2 against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. Is another OVER in store? The OVER is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between the Cavs and Warriors.

Sportsbook opened the Warriors as 11-point home favorites with a total of 214.5.

SHARK BITES
  • The UNDER is 4-1 in the Cavaliers' last five road games.
  • The OVER is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between the Warriors and Cavaliers.
  • The Cavaliers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games playing on two days rest.

That number is slightly smaller than the -12.5 spread the Warriors closed as in the series opener, but the Dubs failed to cover in the 124-114 overtime triumph. The total, which was set at 217.5 in Game 1, went OVER by 20.5 points. The Cavs had a chance to take the lead at the end of regulation, but JR Smith dribbled out the clock after grabbing a tough offensive rebound with the game tied to send the game to overtime. The blunder was easily one of the biggest individual mistakes in recent NBA Finals history.

As he’s done so often in the playoffs, LeBron James once again single-handedly carried the Cavaliers while turning in one of the great performances in Finals history with 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. James was joined in double figures with Kevin Love (21 points) and Smith (10).

The Warriors shot 51.1 percent from the floor and 95 percent from the free-throw line while committing only eight turnovers in Game 1 but trailed the Cavs in one department: offensive rebounding. The Cavs notched 19 offensive rebounds compared to the Warriors’ four. Andre Iguodala hasn’t played since Game 3 of the Western Conference finals due to a knee injury and was doubtful to play tonight as of this writing.

After spending the entirety of the regular season as a poor wager, the Cavs have turned it around in that department of late. Cleveland is 5-1 ATS in its past six games.

Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick

The visiting Cleveland Cavaliers betting line opened this morning as 12-point underdogs in this one at most sportsbooks tracked at Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while the total was hovering around 215.5 at Sportsbook and other betting odds shops.

Odds Shark score prediction models pick a 112-98 result in favor of the Warriors today. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NBA matchups here.

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors Matchup

Team Betting Records & Power Rankings

Golden State battles the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently with a 62-39 mark (41-59-1 ATS). The OVER/UNDER records, important for totals betting, are 46-53-1 for the Golden State Warriors and 48-51-2 for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Golden State vs Cleveland injuries news.

It's a betting matchup between the No. 22-rated Golden State Warriors and the No. 8-ranked Cleveland Cavaliers, according to the NBA Power Rankings here at Odds Shark.

Statistical Matchup

When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers rank No. 25 in the league with 41.86 per game. That compares with Golden State's No. 13 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where Golden State is the NBA's No. 8-ranked team at 11.23 per game, while the Cleveland Cavaliers rate No. 5 with 11.64 per contest.

Recent Outings Betting Recap

LeBron James was dynamite, scoring 51 points and adding 8 rebounds but Golden State still won, 124-114, over Cleveland on Thursday at Oracle Arena.

Betting Trends
  • Cleveland is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
  • Cleveland is 9-4 SU in its last 13 games
  • Cleveland is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Cleveland's last 5 games on the road
  • Golden State is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Golden State's last 6 games
  • Golden State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home
  • Golden State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games at home

Next Betting Matchups

Cleveland home to Golden State, Wednesday, June 6th

The UNDER is 4-1 in the Cavaliers' last five road games.away The OVER is 5-2 in the last seven meetings between the Warriors and Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games playing on two days rest.away
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