Cleveland Cavaliers vs Golden State Warriors: NBA Game of the Night
Published January 16, 2017 by Sol FH
The Cavs come to Oakland to face the Warriors tonight at 1:00 GMT and the pressure is on Golden State to win.
In the first matchup between the Cavs and the Warriors this season, the Cavs came away with a 1-point win 109-108 at Quicken Loans Stadium. Tonight will be the second time they meet this season and the spotlight will be on the Warriors, as they will need to get revenge for the loss in December. It will be an action-packed game, which could be the preview of this year's NBA Finals. The Cavs and the Warriors both sit atop their respective conference. The Warriors have the better record at 34-6, while the Cavs are at 29-10, but either team could win and it will be an exciting one to watch.
Key Matchups
There is no real secret here, LeBron vs Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving vs Steph Curry. The lesser of these two matchups is by far the most critical. The two have met in 22 games and James has the advantage over Durant with 18 wins and only 4 losses. Since moving to the Warriors, Durant is a new type of beast, leading the team in scoring and is a force on offense and on defense. James and Durant both have the skills to set the tone for the game and if either player is having an off night, it could be the others' time to capitalize.
Steph Curry vs Kyrie Irving is always a good show. Irving seems to get extra-amped when facing Steph and it makes for a high-intensity game. Many people have criticized Irving's defense against Curry in the past, but if he can step up it will be a great advantage for the Cavs.
Since Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals, the Warriors have gone 9-7 against the Cavs, but Cleveland have won the last four games straight up. Tonight, the Warriors are focused on getting their 35th win and to do it on MLK Day will mean even more.
NBA Betting
Despite winning the last 4 games against the Warriors, the Cavs are still listed as underdogs at bet365 Sports at 3.75, while the home town team is at 1.28. There are 15 pre game markets that bettors can choose from, as well as live in play odds available.
