NBA - Boston Celtics v Cleveland Cavs

NBA - 501 Cleveland Cavaliers @ 502 Boston Celtics

As I've referred on my preview, the Cavs are a team which cause problems to Boston due to their similar styles and for some reason they went 9-2 ATS last season against the Celtics. For this game, Boston opened at -7 and it is already at -6 in some shops. Looking at the six home games of the Celtics against the Cavs last season, the lines were the following: -11,5/-10,5/-10/-8,5/-9/-8. So, I think we need to question where the value of this game is. With Boston now at -6, we need to question if Boston is now weaker than last season or if the Cavs are better this season? My answer for these two questions is no. Looking at Boston, the team is basically the same. There could be a tendency for some relax after winning the championship and that's always a factor we need to take into consideration. However, I have a strong evidence that proves that the Celtics are actually more focused than ever.

First of all, the winning dynamic of the team continued in the preseason, where the Celtics went 6-2, but the main factor has to go with what happened in their game against the Rockets, where there was an huge altercation between the players. This is a clear sign that the team is here to compete and that they are taking this season as seriously as last season. If they weren't, why would they lose their head during a pregame season? That wouldn't make any sense at all!

"We are so prepared," Ray Allen said yesterday, "that in one-on-ones, it got to the point where guys get in fights. Nobody ever actually fights, but we have a lot of barking on this team, from everybody, and I think you see that machismo among the guys. Everyone wants to feel like the top dog. Ultimately, we take that and translate it to the team concept, and everything we do helps the team."

"[Garnett] is a lot more intense this year," Paul Pierce said. "I didn't think he could go to another level, but he has. It's infectious and you see it in practice - it's like we never won anything."

Said Garnett, "My intensity rubs off on Paul and Ray a little bit. The young players are getting to understand the intensity we play with for 48 minutes, that when we play at home, we protect that; what practice is - we come here and we don't go long but we go hard."

These statements show how they are as hungry for winning as they were before.

The Cavs also seem to be stronger this season, but they will have a totally new backcourt this season. PG Mo Williams is a great addition, but he will need time to adapt to a totally new system of play. Delonte West will now start in the SG position, in a position he has barely played in Cleveland. Obviously, Lebron is an amazing player and even though he has done some nice games against the Celtics last season during the regular season, we later saw him being very well stopped by the Celtics in the Playoffs.

The Celtics go into this season with the same structure from last season and they have two backup players, who are currently smoking hot: Tony Allen and Eddie House. The C's went 8-2 ATS during the last regular season, in all home games where they weren't favored by more than 7,5 points and today they are just being favored by 6 points. Given the conditions of tonight's game, Boston has great value in here. Take the Celtics.

Pick: 3 units (Regular Play) on 502 Boston Celtics (-6) @1.92 on 5Dimes

Pick : -6 Boston
Odds : 1.92
Stake : 7 / 10
Bookmaker : 5dimes
Match Result : 90-85
Tipster Personal Link/Sponsor: http://www.andregomes.com

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