The Warriors were dominant in the opening match of the NBA Finals and they will take a lot of confidence into second match in the best of seven series. Continue reading for our NBA Finals Game 2 Preview and Betting Tips.
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NBA Finals Game 2 Betting Tips
Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland Cavaliers (Monday 10am AEST)
We correctly predicted the Warriors would win by a large margin against the Cavaliers in the opening game as Cleveland were always going to be rusty after having a long period on the sidelines whilst the home side didn’t want to give up home court advantage as they did against the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. However, I don’t think anybody would have predicted a victory by 15-points with the MVP Stephen Curry and his splash brother Klay Thompson combining for just 20-points. It is a scary thought to think that these two had little impact on this match and yet the Cavaliers were still unable to capitalise.
The bench was the big story for this match as their impact on the game was huge. Shaun Livingston, Leandro Barbosa and Andre Igudodala combined for 43-points for a huge spark for a second string outfit whilst they played brilliantly in defence. The Cavaliers role players will need to match that effort for the rest of the series if they are to stand a chance at lifting the championship as their big three of Lebron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love had solid games despite their poor shooting from the field. They had a lot of pressure placed on them to create as their teammates weren’t connecting on their three point shooting as they had been previously in the playoffs and it is a must that they knock down open shots to create the space for the big three to work.
Curry and Thompson aren’t likely to have two off shooting nights in a row, especially on their home court. We are predicting they will come out firing in the next match and look to apply a massive amount of pressure on the Cavaliers before they head to Cleveland for games 3 and 4. However, it is also unlikely for the Cavaliers to have a similar poor shooting night and they will have improve after getting their feet back on the court after a period on the sidelines and they will keep this match close before not having enough to secure an important away victory.
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!