Cleveland (24-9) at Golden State (26-7)
When: Monday, December 25th 2017
Where: Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
Time: 3:05 ET | TV: ABC
Opening Odds: Golden State -4.5/221
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The long-awaited NBA Finals rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors takes place on Monday, Christmas Day without a key player for each squad. The Warriors dispatched Cleveland easily in five games last June behind a star-studded cast that includes Steph Curry, but the sharp-shooter will miss this rematch while recovering from an ankle injury and Cavaliers point guard Isaiah Thomas is not quite ready to make his season debut. Curry missed the last eight games and the team has no plans to rush him back for the Christmas Day matchup. Thomas was acquired over the summer from the Boston Celtics for Kyrie Irving but has been battling a hip injury and will not make a targeted Christmas return.
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Cleveland, which loss to the Warriors in the NBA Finals last spring in the third straight Finals meeting between the teams, comes as one of the hottest teams in the league with wins in 19 of its last 21 games. The Cavaliers bounced back from a rare loss by edging the surging Chicago Bulls 115-112 on Thursday behind 34 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals from LeBron James. The future Hall-of-Famer, who averaged 33.6 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists in the Finals last spring, is carrying Cleveland once again by putting up 28.4 points on 57% shooting, 9.2 assists and 8.2 rebounds on the season.
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Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson have been carrying the load while Golden State moves on without Curry for the meantime but finally went cold as the team’s 11-game winning streak came to an end with a 96-81 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. Thompson and Durant combined to go 1-of-15 from 3-point range, and the team shot a putrid 3-of-27 from beyond the arc. Forward Draymond Green had x-rays on his elbow come back negative after Saturday’s game and is expected to play Monday.
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LeBron has been waiting for this game all season and gets the Warriors at a good time. Golden State is banged-up, and the Cavaliers should take advantage of that.
Pick: Cavaliers +5
- Cavaliers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 Monday games.
- Cavaliers are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Cavaliers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Cavaliers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
- Cavaliers are 13-6-1 ATS in their last 20 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Cavaliers are 13-6-1 ATS in their last 20 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Cavaliers are 17-8-1 ATS in their last 26 road games.
- Cavaliers are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. NBA Pacific.
- Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
- Cavaliers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Cavaliers are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
- Cavaliers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 vs. Western Conference.
- Warriors are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.
- Warriors are 20-7-1 ATS in their last 28 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than .600.
- Warriors are 6-13 ATS in their last 19 games following a ATS loss.
- Warriors are 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up loss.
- Warriors are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
- Warriors are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Monday games.
- Warriors are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up loss of more than 10 points.
- Warriors are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. NBA Central.
- Warriors are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent allows 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Warriors are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Warriors are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Warriors are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games following a double-digit loss at home.
- Warriors are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game.
- Under is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 Monday games.
- Over is 4-0 in Cavaliers last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Over is 6-1 in Cavaliers last 7 vs. NBA Pacific.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
- Under is 4-1 in Cavaliers last 5 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600.
- Over is 9-3 in Cavaliers last 12 vs. Western Conference.
- Under is 8-3 in Cavaliers last 11 games following a ATS loss.
- Under is 5-2 in Cavaliers last 7 road games.
- Over is 7-0 in Warriors last 7 games following a straight up loss.
- Under is 4-0 in Warriors last 4 games following a ATS loss.
- Over is 4-0 in Warriors last 4 vs. a team with a winning straight up record.
- Over is 6-1 in Warriors last 7 vs. NBA Central.
- Under is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.
- Under is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
- Under is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.
- Under is 4-1 in Warriors last 5 home games.
- Under is 6-2 in Warriors last 8 overall.
- Over is 9-3 in Warriors last 12 Monday games.
- Over is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.
- Under is 7-2-2 in the last 11 meetings in Golden State.
- Home team is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 meetings.
