Heat vs. Cavs Line Settles in at 5.5 as Lebron James Returns to Cleveland

Sports bettors will be following the Heat vs. Cavs line closely as the rest of us may only tune in for the first few minutes of the much anticipated return of Lebron James to Cleveland Thursday night.   The spread on this game was Heat -5.5 and the trending had the line moving up a half point.  This is likely since nearly 80 percent of spread action was on Miami.  With all the hoopla surrounding this game, however, the Heat were only the 10th most wagered on team as of Thursday morning after a bunch of NFL and College Football games that won’t even be played until this weekend.

The city of Cleveland was furious with James following his live televised July 8 announcement that he would be joining the Miami Heat.  Fans burned Lebron James jerseys in the street and Cavaliers owner James Gilbert alleged that the two-time MVP “quit” on his team during last year’s playoffs. 

“I think it’s going to be tough,” James said about going back to Cleveland.  “But I’m there to win a basketball game, and I understand how passionate fans are about sports.  So I’m ready for whatever response I’m going to get.”

One columnist at the Cleveland Plain Dealer urged fans to remain silent during the introduction of James to “show the city has moved on”.  Yet another, Chuck Yarborough, urged fans to “boo the heck out of the dude” but to “keep it within reason”.  Undercover security will be dispersed throughout the stands while alcohol will be served in plastic cups as opposed to bottles.  The Heat refused to release details of the team’s itinerary for the trip to Cleveland out of fears for Lebron’s safety. 

Can the Cavs Beat The Heat?  Bet On It Here

"I know he's going to enjoy the atmosphere and the hype that's been created," teammate Dwyane Wade said. "I know he's going to enjoy it more when it's over. Our focus cannot be on safety and security. We understand that the NBA wants nothing but safety for us -- the Miami organization as well. They pay us a lot of money. They don't want nothing to happen to us. I'm sure we'll be just fine."

To date, the Heat have failed to meet up to expectations and are currently 3 ½ games behind Orlando in the Southeast Division and a game behind Atlanta.  The Cavs have certainly been negatively impacted by Lebron James departure as they enter this game with a 7-10 record.  Oddly enough, Cleveland is just 2 ½ games out of first place in the Central Division. 

Cleveland, with Lebron as part of the franchise, has won and covered the last 5 games against Miami.

In more recent trends, the Cavaliers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 vs. NBA Southeast while the Heat continue to get slaughtered Against The Spread.  They have gone just  2-12 ATS in their last 14 games overall and 1-8 ATS in their last 9 vs. Eastern Conference.

- Tyrone Black, Gambling911.com