Forward Kevin Love embodied the Cleveland Cavaliers’ online betting woes when he had to leave the game against the Hawks on Sunday, which the Cavs lost 115-117, while also not covering, with stomach pain and shortness of breath. It’s like they say; Love hurts. And Cleveland’s 1-5 SU and ATS record on the last six games is enough to make anyone feel like John Hurt in Alien. When Love returned to practice on Monday, he had had an epiphany and felt veteran and LeBron James’s BFF Dwayne Wade was right to call out the team’s starters, but will they snap out of it in time for the Milwaukee Bucks?
- Date: Tuesday, 7th November
- Time: 7:10 PM
- Venue: Quicken Loans Arena
- Sportsbook Odds:
Bucks +4½ (-110) 219½ (-110) +160 702
Cavaliers -4½ (-110) 219½ (-110) -185
The land of the Frye and the home of Dwayne Wade
It has been reported that the Cavs may be using new uniforms that make reference to their “Defend the Land” slogan.
These are reportedly the Cavs' alternate uniforms, as rendered by @conradburry. RT if you like 'em. Fav if not. https://t.co/xIrIFHNoip pic.twitter.com/ESlbwNsAye
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) November 6, 2017
The slogan has, unfortunately, been, as of late, nothing more than that, with Cleveland going 2-4 SU and, worse yet, 0-6 ATS at home. Wade has certainly earned the right to demand more from the starters, considering he leads a bench that is currently the best thing the Cavs have going, with the exception, of course, of the King, who had his 7th double-double of the season with a team-best 26 points on 10-17 shooting on Sunday, plus 13 assists, five rebounds, one steal and two blocks in 41 minutes. The reserves scored a season-best 64 points against the Hawks, and are averaging 40.6 this season. Wade and Kyle Korver, moreover, became the first Cavs tandem to each score at least 23 points from the bench since February 2, 2002. The Cavs are 7-18-1 ATS in their last 26 home games, 1-6 ATS in their last seven playing Eastern Conference teams and 1-7 against the online betting spread in their last eight overall.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks
If the word ‘excellence’ can be applied to the Bucks, it would be in reference to center Giannis Antetokounmpo, who leads the NBA in scoring with 31.0 points per game, and who has scored at least 28 points in eight of Milwaukee’s nine games (including 34 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists against the Cavs on October 20th’s 97-116 loss to Cleveland), in spite of which the Bucks have lost and failed to cover in their last three straight games. Milwaukee has felt the effects of Greg Monroe’s absence; the power forward has been out with a strained calf since the Bucks’ loss to the Celtics on October 26th. “We miss, for one, his toughness, his ability to score the ball, pass the ball and then help us rebound the ball,” head coach Jason Kidd said. “We definitely miss him.” The Bucks are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games playing on three or more days’ rest, 3-7 ATS in their last 10 playing Eastern Conference teams, and 1-4 against the online betting spread in their last five overall.