Best Games to Bet on: Cubs vs Indians & Thunder vs Clippers

Well, well, well… another Game 7 in a championship series for one of Cleveland’s pro teams. This time, though, the tables are turned. The city is in the hot seat and could be on the receiving end of “blowing a 3-1 lead” jokes if they lose. Either way, an unfortunate streak will end — the Cubs have a 108-year title drought, while the Indians have 68.

The sports fan in you can’t wait, but there’s a game in the NBA’s schedule that could also be great game to bet on. Russell Westbrook, who’s having insane numbers, is bringing his Thunder team to the Staples Center to face the Clippers. Will he continue to electrify? Will we see a third straight triple double?

Read on for a quick preview on both games!

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Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Indians – Game 7 of the 2016 World Series (8:00 PM ET)

Line: Chicago Cubs (-115) vs. Cleveland Indians (+105) – total; 7.0 – view all MLB lines

There’s no better way to put it: this is it for the Cubs and the Indians. One franchise will put an end to a lifetime of despair, while the other will prolong theirs. As the city of Chicago and Cleveland are surely praying hard, every other neutral fan (who didn’t bet on the game) are sitting back, hoping for an exciting MLB finale.

As expected, both clubs will be lining up their very best pitchers – the Indians will start Corey Kluber and the Cubs will have Kyle Hendricks.

Kluber (4-1 record with a 0.89 ERA this postseason) has been big in the World Series. In his starts in games 1 and 4, the Cubs only scored a grand total of two runs, while also striking out 15, with only one earned run on nine hits over 11 innings. The 2014 Cy Young awardee also has neat stats opposite the Cubs’ batters, going 4-of-41 for four hits, one RBI, and 18 strikeouts.

This postseason has tested Kluber a lot, making him start on short rests thrice (counting Wednesday’s upcoming game), something that he has never done in his six-year career in the league.

Hendricks (1-1 record with a 1.91 ERA this postseason), meanwhile, isn’t far ahead. The MLB’s regular season leader in ERA hasn’t allowed a run in his last two starts. Collectively, the Indians only have five at-bats against Hendricks, with no hits, one walk, and one strikeout. That great unfamiliarity in his actual throws could play a big factor in the outcome of the game.

The 26-year-old is being put on an unimaginable pressure coming in, and he has no previous tests with a similar magnitude, as game 7 will be the first elimination game of his young career.

Writer’s Prediction

The Cubs (-115) win and finally make IT HAPPEN, 6-4. Get ready for some Bill Murray memes.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Los Angeles Clippers (10:30 PM ET)

Line: Oklahoma City Thunder (+7) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (-7) – total; 207.5 – view all NBA lines

People have massive expectations for Russell Westbrook leadership-wise, basketball-wise, and (especially) stat-wise this season, and boy is he living up to all of that or what? He has led the Thunder to a 3-0 start while averaging – brace your eyes ‘cause it’s about to get wider – 38.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 11.7 assists.

This Wednesday, Westbrook and his crew will visit the Clippers in their toughest test to date. Expect him to have an exciting encounter with Chris Paul, one of the league’s purest point guards. Paul, who’s netting 20 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists this season, seems to have a tough time boxing out his man, as two of his three matchups this year had eight rebounds or more.

Speaking of rebounding the ball, the bigs on both teams should also battle it out well against each other, with DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin bringing their combined 24 rebounds per game versus the Thunder’s bruising set of centers – Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, and rookie Domantas Sabonis.

One of the probable x-factor in the game is two-guard Victor Oladipo’s effectiveness, who’s similar to Westbrook in aggressiveness in getting to the rim. He should have a favorable matchup with JJ Redick or Jamal Crawford, but we’re not sure about Luc Mbah a Moute, Austin Rivers, or Wesley Johnson.

Another factor is the OKC’s ability to keep up with the Clipps’ ability to dictate the tempo of the game. Considering the skills of those aforementioned players, Doc Rivers’ team can play slow and fast well every time.