How to bet NBA Finals Game 2
Erin Rynning
Special to ESPN.com
ESPN INSDER
The Golden State Warriors dominated the second half of Game 1 en route to a dominant 113-91 victory. Will Cleveland bounce back in Game 2?
Handicapper Erin Rynning is back with his best bets for Game 2, after winning with Golden State -7 in Game 1.
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors
Series price: Golden State -700/Cleveland +500
Game 2 line: Golden State -9 (O/U: 221)
PickCenter public consensus pick: 56 percent bet Golden State
The Warriors flexed their muscles in the NBA Finals opener, while the series price changed significantly. I recommended the Warriors as the play in this series -260 before Game 1, as the series price is now set at -700 for the Warriors with a buyback of +500 on the Cavaliers at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
The late money was on Golden State in Game 1, <offer style="box-sizing: border-box;">moving the line from -7 to -7.5 and -8 in some places, so it's no surprise to see the adjusted price for Game 2 with the Warriors currently a 9-point favorite. Keep in mind the Warriors won the first two games in last year's Finals by a combined score of 214-166. However, Golden State has the all-important X factor this time around as Kevin Durant dominated Game 1 with 38 points.</offer>
It's tricky to envision where the Cavaliers can make the key adjustments to make up ground on the Warriors. The Warriors played anxious basketball in the opening half of Game 1, missing many point-blank shots, while Draymond Green battled foul trouble. With Golden State getting to the basket with ease early in the contest, the 3-point line opened up in the second half for the Warriors, who shot 9-of-20 from behind the arc.
The one key aspect the Cavaliers must fix is points in the paint. Golden State outscored Cleveland 56-30 in this stat in Game 1 and 42-16 in the opening half; this series will be over quickly if those numbers stay similar Sunday night. The confirmation from Game 1 adds to my recommendation of the Warriors in this series and on a game-by-game basis. However, I believe this is the game for the Cavaliers to make the necessary adjustments to make this series competitive; even though they are +9 in the betting markets, I'll pass on the side.
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The game total in the series opener fluctuated from 225.5 to as high as 227 to about as low as 223 before closing at 224.5 at most books. The smart money was on the under and was the clear right side in the end with just 92 second-half points. From the start of the playoffs, the Cavaliers' best defense has been their offense, as they have beaten teams simply by out-gunning them. There were hints of this throughout the first half of Game 1, with a strong pace and high offensive output from both teams. The first half total just fell short of going over with 112 total points, but the teams did combine for a staggering 104 shots.
The Game 2 total is adjusted lower, settling in at 221 at Westgate. Game 1 was played with some rustiness, and I expect much better flow in this contest, much like we've seen throughout these playoffs, with overs cashing at a 60 percent clip.
I'll recommend a play on the game and first-half over of 112.
Play: over 221 and first half over 112
Erin Rynning
Special to ESPN.com
ESPN INSDER
The Golden State Warriors dominated the second half of Game 1 en route to a dominant 113-91 victory. Will Cleveland bounce back in Game 2?
Handicapper Erin Rynning is back with his best bets for Game 2, after winning with Golden State -7 in Game 1.
Series price: Golden State -700/Cleveland +500
Game 2 line: Golden State -9 (O/U: 221)
PickCenter public consensus pick: 56 percent bet Golden State
The Warriors flexed their muscles in the NBA Finals opener, while the series price changed significantly. I recommended the Warriors as the play in this series -260 before Game 1, as the series price is now set at -700 for the Warriors with a buyback of +500 on the Cavaliers at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
The late money was on Golden State in Game 1, <offer style="box-sizing: border-box;">moving the line from -7 to -7.5 and -8 in some places, so it's no surprise to see the adjusted price for Game 2 with the Warriors currently a 9-point favorite. Keep in mind the Warriors won the first two games in last year's Finals by a combined score of 214-166. However, Golden State has the all-important X factor this time around as Kevin Durant dominated Game 1 with 38 points.</offer>
It's tricky to envision where the Cavaliers can make the key adjustments to make up ground on the Warriors. The Warriors played anxious basketball in the opening half of Game 1, missing many point-blank shots, while Draymond Green battled foul trouble. With Golden State getting to the basket with ease early in the contest, the 3-point line opened up in the second half for the Warriors, who shot 9-of-20 from behind the arc.
The one key aspect the Cavaliers must fix is points in the paint. Golden State outscored Cleveland 56-30 in this stat in Game 1 and 42-16 in the opening half; this series will be over quickly if those numbers stay similar Sunday night. The confirmation from Game 1 adds to my recommendation of the Warriors in this series and on a game-by-game basis. However, I believe this is the game for the Cavaliers to make the necessary adjustments to make this series competitive; even though they are +9 in the betting markets, I'll pass on the side.
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The game total in the series opener fluctuated from 225.5 to as high as 227 to about as low as 223 before closing at 224.5 at most books. The smart money was on the under and was the clear right side in the end with just 92 second-half points. From the start of the playoffs, the Cavaliers' best defense has been their offense, as they have beaten teams simply by out-gunning them. There were hints of this throughout the first half of Game 1, with a strong pace and high offensive output from both teams. The first half total just fell short of going over with 112 total points, but the teams did combine for a staggering 104 shots.
The Game 2 total is adjusted lower, settling in at 221 at Westgate. Game 1 was played with some rustiness, and I expect much better flow in this contest, much like we've seen throughout these playoffs, with overs cashing at a 60 percent clip.
I'll recommend a play on the game and first-half over of 112.
Play: over 221 and first half over 112
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