Sportsbook.com NBA Playoff Betting - Celtics vs. Cavs Game 4

[Qbins Missile Crisis]

NBA: Boston at Cleveland

Boston has had a difficult time on the road since the regular season closed out, having lost all four games it has played in the playoffs.

A chance to turn that slide around comes tonight in Cleveland, as the Cavs try to even the best-of-7 series. The hosts opened as a seven-point favorite, and despite being backed by 75% of bettors, are now laying just two points.




MORE

Boston went a league-best 31-10 in away games during the regular season, including a 28-13 record against the spread, but they are a disturbing 0-4 ATS in four playoff road games after a 108-84 loss as the Cavs trimmed the series to 2-1 on Saturday.

Game 4 goes tonight, and unless the green-and-white can cure their home sickness, their commanding lead will be gone. Of course, holding the home-court advantage trump card throughout the playoffs gives the Celtics a safety net. They can continue to lose on the road as long as they win all their home games, but one little misstep on their parquet floor could lead to an early slide into summer.

A slower-than-slow start doomed the Celtics in Game 3. They fell behind by 19 points after the first quarter, were down by an eye-popping 43-17 in the second and never mounted a serious threat after halftime as the Cavaliers destroyed a team with a collective 72-20 record this season.

What’s most puzzling about the Celtics’ road woes is that they played so well during the regular season. They won almost everywhere, even blowing through San Antonio, Houston and Dallas to win consecutive games in a rare Texas-three step of wins.

It was the first time Boston had won three in a row in the Lone Star State since 1987, and the Celts became the first team to nail the Texas trifecta since the Sacramento Kings in 2001.

They certainly know how to win on the road; it just seems as if they’ve forgotten. The odds favor the Celtics becoming road warriors once again, a thought that has crossed the mind of Cavs forward Joe Smith.

“I was thinking about that all day before yesterday’s game,” Smith said following practice on Sunday. “I was watching everything on TV and that’s all you hear about, their struggles in Atlanta and how they’ve been struggling on the road lately.

Teams that win Game 3 after losing first two on the road, are no sure bet in next game with 8-9 ATS record in Game 4 in the playoffs the last three seasons.

The Cavs got the big game they needed to get back into the series, even with LeBron James continuing to struggle. James remains stuck in a three-game shooting slide, but Cleveland got key contributions from Smith, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak and Ben Wallace, the veteran foursome brought in at the trading deadline by general manager Danny Ferry.

Tonight’s total is a series high 182. Boston is 9-0 OVER after scoring 35 points or less in the first half last game, which sounds like a rejuvenation; however in those nine outings, the average margin of victory has been a single point.

What might serve Boston better is playing UNDER, as they are 22-10 below the number after having won two of their last three games this season, with a winning margin of 9.9 PPG.

The Cavaliers want to keep the train rolling, since they are 6-0 ATS when favored by less than five points.

Catch the opening tip-off with coverage on TNT beginning at 8 pm ET.

StatFox Take – Pick Celtics