Tough road test awaits Cleveland
LeBron James turned 32 years old on Friday. Will the Cleveland superstar still be in a celebratory mood after this evening’s meeting with Charlotte?
The two Eastern Conference foes face off in North Carolina at 7 p.m. ET. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives the Cavaliers odds of -160 to handle their business on the road. Conversely, the Hornets represent +140 underdogs.
Two nights ago, another virtuoso performance by James helped the Cavs secure a 124-118 victory vs. Boston. The four-time MVP had 23 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, while Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love combined for 62 points. Tyrone Lue’s club has lost only twice since Dec. 14.
Shifting the spotlight to Charlotte, the Kemba Walker Show continues to draw rave reviews. The explosive guard became the fourth player in franchise history to reach 7,000 career points earlier in the week. He’s on pace to set a new career high with 430-plus dimes, too.
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Even so, the Hornets’ one-man wrecking crew can’t vanquish the reigning NBA champion by himself. Cleveland’s won four in a row against Steve Clifford’s team. In this instance, we feel very confident in the James Gang’s ability to improve to 8-5 away from Quicken Loans Arena.
SATURDAY NBA FREE PICK: CAVALIERS/HORNETS UNDER 213 POINTS