Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Christmas Day Preview
Where: Quicken Loans Arena — Cleveland, Ohio
When: Sunday, December 25, 2016, 2:30 PM ET
Line: Golden State Warriors (-2.5) at Cleveland Cavaliers (+2.5); total: 222.5– view all NBA lines
TV Broadcast: ABC
Writer’s Pick: Cleveland Cavaliers
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Betting on the Golden State Warriors (27-4)
After six months, the Golden State Warriors will finally get their next crack at the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although, this will obviously be a much different Warriors team to the one that blew a 3-1 lead to the Cavs in last year’s NBA Finals.
Harrison Barnes is gone, and Kevin Durant has filled his spot in the starting lineup quite nicely. The 2014 NBA MVP has settled in fairly well with the Warriors, as he is averaging close to 26 points per game, which leads the team, along with 8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Durant’s inclusion has made the Warriors’ “Death Lineup” even deadlier. The Warriors are the top-scoring team in the league, averaging 117 points per game.
The Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, have taken a bit of a back seat with KD now with the team, but the two are still two of the deadliest shooters in the game. Curry in particular will be eager to make up for his awful Finals performance, especially Game 7, where he had just 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting.
It remains to be seen whether Draymond Green will play after the birth of his son, but his presence will be massive for the Warriors. Green is the anchor of the Warriors’ defense, and will be crucial in containing LeBron James on the pick-and-roll.
Betting on the Cleveland Cavaliers (22-6)
It doesn’t feel like the Cleveland Cavaliers are playing anywhere close to full capacity, and yet here they are, once again leading the East by a comfortable margin. The defending champs have arguably gotten better compared to last year, particularly on the offensive end.
Kevin Love, who’s averaging 22 points and 10 rebounds, has finally found his role in the offense and is playing more like the Love who was a superstar in Minnesota.
Meanwhile, LeBron James is playing like a legitimate MVP candidate. James is putting up 25 points, 8 rebounds, and a career-high 9 assists per game, while orchestrating this well-oiled Cavs offense.
LeBron and Kyrie Irving famously ripped the Warriors defense to shreds over the last three games of the Finals. James had back-to-back 41-point games in Games 5 and 6 before coming up with a 27-11-11 triple-double in the deciding Game 7.
JR Smith will miss this Finals rematch and more after suffering a complex fracture in his right thumb. However, his absence shouldn’t trouble the Cavs too much. Iman Shumpert and DeAndre Liggins have been playing decent minutes, and their length should be an asset in disrupting the Warriors’ offense.
Writer’s Prediction
LeBron James puts together another top Christmas performance as the Cavs once again top the Warriors, 105-100.
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