Following Game 1 losses, Cavs, Rockets favoured in NBA betting at Coral

Chicago Bulls will be looking to take a 2-0 series lead over Cleveland when they meet the Cavaliers in Game 2 of their NBA Eastern Conference semi-final series on Wednesday as 5.5-point road underdogs in NBA betting at Coral.

The surging Bulls stunned the heavily favoured Cavaliers in Game 1, leading from start to finish in a 99-92 victory as 4.5-point underdogs. Point guard Derrick Rose returned to his former MVP form, leading Chicago with 25 points, while power forward Pau Gasol contributed 21 points.

Chicago got the better of a Cavs squad that was missing a pair of starters, including Kevin Love, who is gone for the season following recent shoulder surgery. The Game 1 loss also ended Cleveland’s six-game SU win streak.

Despite their proven ability to put numbers in the win column, the Cavaliers continue to be somewhat of a betting disappointment, going 5-9 ATS in their last 14 contests, including three outright losses as favourites in basketball betting at Coral’s online sportsbook.

The loss also drops the Cavs to 5-5 SU in their last 10 against Chicago, extending their current ATS losing streak against the Bulls to three games.

After tallying back-to-back wins against Chicago just once in their last 20 meetings, dating back five years, Game 2 has suddenly become a must-win for Cleveland. They had become a fixture during the regular season atop the NBA championship betting odds at Coral, but now sits at 4/1, just slightly ahead of the Bulls at 5/1.

Los Angeles Clippers @ Houston Rockets (-6.5)
Los Angeles Clippers will also be gunning for a 2-0 series lead when they take on the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of their Western Conference semi-final as heavy 6.5-point underdogs in NBA Playoffs betting at Coral.

Playing without point guard Chris Paul, who suffered a hamstring injury while leading the club to a thrilling 111-109 Game 7 first-round win over the San Antonio Spurs, the Clippers held the Rockets to their lowest point total of the post-season, while claiming the victory as 7.5-point underdogs.

The win also improved Los Angeles to 6-2 in their last eight visits to the Toyota Center, SU and ATS, with five of those victories coming while pegged as the betting dog.

For Houston, the loss ends the club’s five-game SU winning streak and six-game ATS win streak, and forces them to eventually earn at least one win on the road against the Clippers, something they have accomplished just once in their last eight.

The point total finished OVER the 212.5 set for Game 1 in NBA betting at Coral. While both the Clippers and Rockets have seen the OVER prevail with regularity in recent weeks, Game 1 marked just the third time in their last 11 head-to-head contests that sports betters playing OVER received a payday.

Not surprisingly, the point total has inched upward for Game 2, and is currently listed at a healthy 214.0.