Ala Hann Sport picks

Preakness betting players know that without your main thoroughbred, you’re in trouble.  Cleveland is in that position as LeBron James is less than 100% with his elbow injury, but that’s still no excuse for the way they were blown out at home in Game 2.  Now, the Celtics have the upper hand as the series heads to Boston for Game 3 on Friday.

Celtics Cavaliers Betting – Friday, May 7, 7:00 PM ET

The Celtics showed they weren’t impressed by James’ MVP award as they watched the trophy presentation, and then went out and laid a 104-86 whipping on the Cavaliers.  The Celtics shot 51.3% from the field, including 9-of-19 from the three-point line, and they had 30 assist on their 40 field goals.  Ray Allen led six Celtics in double figures with 22 points, while Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 10 assists for Boston, who even got 17 points off the bench from Rasheed Wallace in what was probably his best game as a Celtic.  Rajon Rondo tied the franchise playoff record for assists with 19 dimes, to go with 13 points.

The Cavaliers, normally a force in the third quarter at home, were outscored 31-12 by the Celtics, and that was pretty much it for Cleveland, who shot 40% from the floor and were outrebounded 43-32.  James le the way with 24 points, going 10-of-15 from the foul line, where the Cavaliers shot 26-of-38 as a team.  Antawn Jamison had 16 points and six boards, but Mo Williams was terrible, going 1-of-9 from the field for a total of six points on the night, although he did chip in with seven assists.  The Cavaliers shot 4-of-21 from beyond the arc, and once they got down, it turned into “isolate James” time, which led to only 17 assists for the game.

The Cavaliers are favored by one point according to NBA betting odds, but they haven’t fared too well against the Celtics on the road, losing nine of their last 10 in Boston.  James’ elbow may be bothering him, but that wasn’t the problem in Game 2, it was the performance of the supporting cast, who looked like they were dazed after the MVP presentation, and again after halftime.  Jamison held up his end of the bargain, but Williams is going to have to play much better than he did in Game 2.  The Cavaliers can take some confidence from a 108-88 rout of the Celtics in Boston on February 25^th, but the Celtics were without Paul Pierce in that game, and they got a great showing from Williams.  This game will be a test of mental strength, and we’re not sure if the Cavaliers are there yet.

Sports betting pick: Boston +1