Point Spreads - NCAA, Final Four, College Basketball, NBA, MLB, World Series, NFL, College Football, BCS & Super Bowl Point Spreads

The 4-seed Cleveland Cavaliers are installed 3 ½ point favorites ATS at Sportsbook.com with a money line price of -170 in game one of their first round Eastern Conference playoffs game with the 5-seed Washington Wizards at Quicken Loans Arena. Start time is set for 12:30 p.m. ET. The game total is holding at 188. 

For the third straight year, the Cavaliers and Wizards will be battling it out in the playoffs. The Cavs/Wizards rivalry dates all the way back to Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes’ Bullets taking the Cavaliers to the brink in the Miracle of Richfield Era. And it’s about to reconvene this weekend. This season, the series is knotted at 2-2, with each team winning a close decision and each team scoring a knockout. If the playoff series is anything like the regular season matchups or postseason battles from the past we’re in for a wild one for the next few days. 

Two years ago Cleveland came into this series off a season-ending 14-3 run and last year they entered off a 17-7 run. Two years ago Washington limped into the series with a season ending 9-10 run and a pathetic 2-8 to the close their '07 season. 

This year the roles are reversed and these teams are much closer. The Cavaliers come limping in at just 8-10 in their last 18, and Washington has closed at 13-7. The Cavaliers closed at just 1-6 ATS on their home court, and finished at just 15-26 ATS for the season. LeBron James simply does not have the supporting cast he has had in years past. As they got healthier, Washington closed at 12-6 ATS on the road.

The Pick: Cleveland -3 1/2 

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