With less than 20 games left in the 2009/10 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are amongst the favorites to take the Eastern Conference championship and the NBA title.
Cleveland not only owns the best record in the conference, but also in the NBA (50-15).
Online sportsbooks currently have them listed at -125 to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals and they are +200 to win the championship but they are looking a little banged up.
Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic - Live at Sportsbook Online
With the “Big Aristotle,” Shaquille O’Neal, already out for up to eight months after having surgery on his right thumb, the Cavs were missing a cast of characters at practice on Wednesday, including star forward LeBron James (right ankle) and newly acquired forward Antawn Jamison (left knee).
Cleveland has another day before their next game, a road game against the Philadelphia 76ers, and James and Jamison could be ready for action.
LeBron James, who has already missed two games, is eyeing a return on Friday and Jamison hasn’t been entirely ruled out either.
According to the
Cleveland Plain Dealer, Jamison has “a cyst in the knee that fills with fluid periodically,” which is causing discomfort but is day to day and if he doesn’t play on Friday against the 76ers, he will definitely see action on Sunday in a home game against the Boston Celtics.
“It's something that occurred earlier in the season,” Jamison told the Plain Dealer.
“With proper treatment, it went away. So I don't see this lingering any longer than it has the last couple of days.”
In the Cavaliers’ last eight games overall against Philadelphia, they are 7-1 straight up and 6-2 against the spread.
The story is similar in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ last eight visits to the City of Brotherly Love as they are 7-1 SU and 6-2 ATS.
Over/Under Alert: In the last nine Cavalier games in Philly, there have been 8 Overs and 1 Under.
Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic:
The Chicago Bulls are about to embark on a two games in two nights odyssey and it begins Thursday in Orlando against the Magic.
The Bulls are solid in their last 12 road games, going 8-4 SU and 8-4 ATS but in their last 12 games overall against the Magic, they are 3-9 SU.
In the last nine games that are the first of back to backs, Chicago is 6-3 SU and 7-2 ATS.
In the last 10 games in that same situation, there have been 3 Overs and 7 Unders.
The following night the Bulls head south to Miami and in their last 10 overall games against the Heat, there have been 2 Overs and 8 Unders.
Have a great week
