Cavaliers Home Underdogs in NBA Finals Betting at Coral

After shocking the Golden State Warriors with a 95-93 overtime victory on Sunday to even their NBA Finals series at one game apiece, the Cleveland Cavaliers return home for Game 3 on Tuesday as slim 1.5-point underdogs in NBA betting at Coral’s online sportsbook.

The Cavs defied the oddsmakers at Coral in Game 2, who pegged them as 7.5-point underdogs following the loss of Kyrie Irving to a season-ending knee injury. But Cleveland once again overcame adversity to post their second outright win as a betting underdog in three post-season games without the three-time NBA All-Star.

Cleveland led the Warriors for much of Game 2 before regular-season MVP Stephen Curry moved Golden State into an 87-87 tie in the dying seconds of regulation, forcing overtime in the first two games of the NBA Finals for the first time in league history.

Curry struggled throughout Game 2, uncharacteristically hitting just two of 15 from downtown and a mere 5-for-23 in field goal attempts, tally just 19 points on the night. However, the 27 year-old native of nearby Akron, Ohio has been lights out on the road during the NBA playoffs, averaging 32.9 points per game in seven contests away from Oracle Arena.

A less-than-stellar performance in Game 2 has not impacted Curry’s odds at Coral to emerge as this year’s NBA Finals MVP, pegged at a short 2/5, well ahead of two-time NBA Finals MVP winner Lebron James, who trails at 7/4.

In stark contrast to Curry’s struggles in Game 2, James put on a dominant performance in leading the Cavaliers to victory, picking up his fifth career triple-double in the NBA Finals while draining a game-high 39 points.

James may need to duplicate that effort in Tuesday night’s Warriors vs. Cavs matchup at Quicken Loans Arena, when Cleveland continues the march to their first-ever NBA title without Irving or Kevin Love, who was lost to the team early in playoffs with a season-ending shoulder injury.