Despite from what appears to be a "lean" by the public on the Sixers with the points, we have yet to see the line move as a result. Be that as it may, Boston plays a physical brand of basketball that very simply could give more finesse teams like Philadelphia nightmares. There has been a lot of hype and hyperbole surrounding the Celtics in the off-season, and they will use this opening game as a contest to affirm all of it. Celtics outmuscle the Sixers and pull away in the fourth quarter.

A big angle probably taken in this game is the narrative that King James will not be swept on his home court. Typically, such jargon would be ill-advised as a formula for a betting approach. However, King James subverts the norm. LeBron James has single-handedly made Cleveland relevant in the previous three games even if they were all losses. Cleveland has held leads in each of the contest by significant margins. Look for this to be a focal point for the Cavs to clamp down in their third. Many forecasted this to be a "Gentleman's Sweep" anyhow; thus if Cleveland were to steal one, this would be the game.

I initially had Golden State winning this series in six games, but after watching how the first two games have unfolded, I think the Warriors will go on to post another 4-1 series victory against Cleveland to match last season's result in the championship series between the two. That said, the one game that the Cavaliers do end up winning in this year's series will be Wednesday night and in a fairly convincing fashion.

The indicative steam move would suggest that a zig-zag scenario seems poised to unfold here with Cleveland being offered at the same price it closed at in Game One. However, the fact remains that Golden State is prone to be overvalued here perhaps even more with the Game One win. How Cleveland responds to the demoralizing loss is a subject of conversation for many as it puts Cleveland’s apparent title hopes in jeopardy. Nevertheless, we are getting the game’s most dominant player with yet another friendly price. We’ll take the points again.

It is a rare opportunity to get the game's best player with such a friendly number. This is because no one thinks that Cleveland can compete in this NBA Finals contest against the defending champions. However, the fact remains that Golden State is likely to be overvalued by virtue of all the rhetoric and we can step in here and take advantage. If there is any player that has proven to beat the odds routinely with his clutch antics, it is LeBron James.

If Paul cannot go, it is going to be hard for Houston to pull off the upset despite that fact that this deciding Game 7 is being played in the friendly confines of the Toyota Center. Even when both teams were at full strength, the total points scored remained much lower than these team's cumulative scoring average in the postseason. The lean would be towards Golden State covering as a road favorite, but the ‘best bet' pick would be the UNDER on the current total line even if CP3 is ready to go.

With home court being an emphasis in this series, one intangible seemingly has been forgotten: LeBron James. There arguably isn’t a more clutch basketball player to ever set foot on the court given how many game-winning shots The King has hit to send his teams forward in dramatic circumstances. Look no further than his play against Indiana and Toronto. Boston has given the Cavaliers all they can handle and the fact they have yet to lose at home this playoff season is something that should be reveled in. However, LeBron James had also beaten the Golden State Warriors in Oakland twice in the 2016 NBA Finals when the Warriors were unbeatable at The O. Cavs outright get the call.

For the Cavaliers, it has been a tale of two series. The same can be inferred for the Celtics. At home, Cleveland has scored a combined 227 points as their offense has erupted in The Land. On the road, Cleveland has failed to break the 100-point mark in their three defeats in Beantown. The ebbs and flows will once again go in Cleveland’s direction here for Game Five. The focus is not so much who will cover but the fact that the spot is prime for scoring to be optimized. We’ll take the Over.

Each team has used its home court to its fullest advantage in the first three games of this series, and I am banking on that trend continuing on Monday night. Boston is a different team in these playoffs when it's playing on the road and James is not about to let his team fall into a deep hole in this series. I have Cleveland evening things up at two games apiece with another win SU win at home, but I am betting that Boston finds a way to keep things closer than the current 6.5-point spread.

We saw Boston in this position in their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match-up against the Milwaukee Bucks. Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead and Milwaukee came in as a mid-range favorite when they were curating hosting duties in Game Three. The Bucks would thrash the Celtics despite the fact they looked dead in the water in Beantown the game before. History has a funny way of repeating itself. Boston plays at a much lower level on the road, and you can expect King James to take full advantage of that. Swallow the points.

The total stayed UNDER on the closing line in Game 1, but I cashed in on the OVER with a bet on the total line when it first opened at 224. I am backing off that play on Wednesday night, although I do see a high-scoring game. Look for Houston to join Golden State this time around with a total score higher than its current scoring average in the postseason. I also see the Rockets winning this game both SU and ATS to answer Golden State’s victory in the series opener.

Backing Boston sets up takers for a true zig-zag situation. Heading into Game One, the Cavaliers were prone to a massive overreaction after they pulled off the sweep. Now, much of the public will likely head in the other direction given how prolific Boston played against Cleveland. This sets up a situation now to take the Cavaliers who stock plummeted through the fall after the nasty loss. The bottom line is LeBron James showed little concern after the Game One result, so chances are you can expect Cleveland to respond and tie the series up here with the hype off of them.

This is the matchup that NBA fans and bettors have been waiting for all season long. Golden State is back to full strength and playing like the defending champions, but Houston comes into this series as the best team in the league, especially on its home court. My lean is towards the Rockets taking Game 1 at home. However, my ‘best bet’ pick is that both teams put on an aerial display of shooting that takes the total OVER the lower-than-expected 224-point line.

The combination of the media machine hyping up the legacy of LeBron James along with Cleveland's sweep of the East's top-seed is bound to create an enormous overreaction in Game One. Very simply, Boston is considered a formality for many in this series, as the Golden State-Cleveland re-match is the heavyweight bout almost all basketball enthusiasts are waiting and hoping for. The fact remains, Boston has not lost a game at home in the post-season, and they have played at a higher level when they are the hosts. In some markets, we saw Boston positioned as a potential favorite until the heavy steam on King James and his merry men flipped the script in this market. The fact remains, we get the Celtics here at a value price and we'll take advantage.

I bet against the 76ers in their Game 1 loss, and I bet against them again in Monday's Game 4 victory for a variety of reasons. However, I do think they can continue to keep this series alive with a road win on Wednesday night by more than the current 1.5-point spread. Philly could have very easily been up 3-1 in this series without all the self-inflicted wounds in Game’s 2 and 3. Those few moral victories help confirm that the 76ers should have closed as favorites in all four games.

Veteran leadership and consistent play have Boston on the verge of pulling off the sweep in this series after winning the first three games as an underdog. I am not entirely sure if the Celtics can get out of Philadelphia with the SU win on Monday night, but I do like their chances to cover with the 6.5-point spread. A young and inconsistent Philly team may finally play to expectations for a full four quarters, but down 3-0, it could just as easily quit.

LeBron James is on a mission. His play in this series, in particular, has been the difference between Cleveland dominating this playoff contest as he single-handedly won two games for Cleveland. In competitions of this magnitude with a home crowd behind them, you can expect The King to capitalize here and power the Cavs to another victory. The Raptors are demoralized, and there is excellent chance they can enter this fixture flat. This one could potentially get out of hand quickly if that is the case and thus there is tremendous upside in swallowing the points here.

In just the span of one game, Toronto went from spotting seven points to taking back nearly five. As a whole, the swing is 11.5 points that is a superfluous number considering we are dealing with the top seed of the East. Nevertheless, Cleveland’s surge in the first two games has many analysts pondering if the Raptors will indeed get swept. With such hyperbole manifesting, Cleveland takers can find themselves getting caught up in the hype and as a result paying more to back the Cavs. We’ll fade the overlay and take the points.

Targeting overreactions is a significant practice that we preach. The Game One result sets up a scenario where such an overreaction can take shape on Cleveland. Presently, it looks like the public is reluctant to buy into the verity of the Game One result. However, there is a good chance that we will see some late steam pour in on Cleveland as the road points look quite appetizing after their thrilling win in Game One. The media machine speaking about the legacy of LeBron James only further enhances the likelihood of such a scenario. This Raptors team is far better than the Toronto teams that Cleveland has defeated in playoffs past, and they will prove that with an impressive rebound win here.

I was impressed with Utah's play against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder in the opening series, but it is going to have its hand's full trying to slow down Harden and the high-powered Rockets for as many games as this series last. Houston knows that getting wins on the road against the Jazz will be a much more onerous task, so I am expecting another solid effort this Wednesday night at home to cover the current 11-point spread.