NBA Playoffs Odds: Cavaliers Heavy Favorites Vs. Hawks In Game 2
The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to extend their postseason dominance over Atlanta with a 10th consecutive victory when they host the Hawks in Game 2 of their second-round series Wednesday as 7.5-point betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Following sweeps of Atlanta in the 2009 Eastern Conference semifinals and in last year’s Eastern Conference finals, the Cavaliers picked up where they left off in Game 1 of this series with a 104-93 victory, covering as 7.5-point chalk.
With that win, Cleveland now is a perfect 8-0 straight up in its last eight games overall against Atlanta, covering in seven of those contests ahead of Wednesday night’s Hawks vs. Cavaliers betting matchup at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Cavaliers also have been dominant on home court in recent months, going 20-5 SU over their past 25 games, but they are just 13-12 against the spread during that stretch, 10-8 ATS when favored by seven or more points.
The Hawks enjoyed a solid second half to the regular season, closing out the campaign on a 17-7 SU run, but needed six games to dispose of the Boston Celtics in the first round and are just 7-7 SU over their past 14 games and 5-9 ATS.
Of particular concern are Atlanta’s recent road struggles, with the club’s sole SU road win in its past seven games coming in the decisive sixth game of their matchup with the Celtics.
Atlanta also has been a betting disappointment in recent weeks, going 5-10 ATS over its past 15 games, averaging just 98.25 points per game over their past eight road dates, with the point total playing UNDER in six of those contests.
In the Western Conference, the scene shifts to Chesapeake Energy Arena on Friday night, as the Oklahoma City Thunder look to take a 2-1 lead over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of their second-round series.
The Thunder drew even with San Antonio following a hard-fought 98-97 victory in Game 2 on Monday, but remain +215 underdogs to knock off the Spurs on the NBA series prices.
That loss ended San Antonio’s seven-game SU win streak and forces the Spurs to find a way to win in Oklahoma City, where they are 2-4 SU in their past six outings, and pay off as diminished -255 chalk on the series prices.
Also, the Miami Heat grabbed a 1-0 lead in their matchup with the Toronto Raptors, eking out a 102-96 overtime victory Tuesday, posting their second straight win as road underdogs and ending a stretch of five games in which the total played UNDER. That series resumes with Game 2 in Toronto on Thursday night.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
