Cavaliers home underdogs for game 3 of NBA finals on Wednesday

Cavaliers Home Underdogs for Game 3 of NBA Finals on Wednesday

The dominant play of the Golden State Warriors in the first two games of the 2017 NBA Finals has made them 3.5-point road favorites for Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night as the scene shifts to Quicken Loans Arena.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Warriors beat the Cavaliers by an average of more than 20 points in Games 1 and 2 at home and now will be looking to take a commanding 3-0 series lead if they can win again on the road on Wednesday.

Cavaliers Home Underdogs for Game 3 of NBA Finals on WednesdayGolden State has been perfect so far this postseason, going 14-0 straight up and 10-4 against the spread. The two-time defending Western Conference champions have covered the spread in five straight games during their current run as the series shifts to Cleveland.

Kevin Durant has been a difference maker offensively for the Warriors, averaging 35.5 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

The Cavaliers face long odds to win their second straight league championship. Again, LeBron James has done everything he can to try to keep Cleveland afloat, averaging a triple-double of 28.5 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists through the first two games. But much like 2015 when the Cavs lost this series in six games, he has not gotten much help.

Cleveland point guard Kyrie Irving is shooting just 40 percent from the field (18-of-45) while making only three trips to the free-throw line. Still, the team has made it to the charity stripe more than Golden State and should get more favorable calls at home.

The biggest adjustment the Cavs need to make heading home is on the defensive end. They cannot allow the Warriors to keep scoring at this pace if they are going to win any games in this series. The OVER has cashed in six of Golden State’s past seven games, and the totals in this series are much higher than they were last year.

Cleveland won the NBA championship last season by slowing the tempo and limiting possessions, which may seem impossible to do right now. But that is the key to earning a victory, starting with Game 3.