Well, we can't say that we expected the Cleveland Cavaliers to look so drab in the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, but aside from some spurts, they have been outplayed thoroughly by the Boston Celtics. Now, after two double-digit victories at the TD Garden, the Celtics will go to the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland and try to go up 3-0 in the series, as Game 3 begins at 8:35 PM ET on Saturday. Remember that at BetAnySports, you can get reduced juice, so you'll have more value in the basketball playoff odds, and with Live Betting Ultra, you can place wagers in real-time while the contest is in progress.

Cleveland just did not seem ready to play in Game 1, and Boston rolled, to the tune of 108-83. But the Cavaliers, sensing some urgency, came out like a firecracker in Game 2, and LeBron James even scored 21 of his 42 points in the opening quarter, but they could not sustain the intensity. Boston, with its brilliant coach, Brad Stevens, made the necessary adjustments and took control in the second half. Cleveland had a dreadful final stanza, missing all eight of their attempts from beyond the three-point arc, and the Celtics put them away 107-94.

What is alarming about all this is that the Cavaliers, who really have to excel on offense because they are not the most capable defensive team (in fact, ranked 29th in efficiency), have scored only 187 points over these two games, and they have made a total of 14 triples, which represents something well below their per-game average in the regular season.

So it goes without saying that they need to improve their shooting if they are going to stay relevant in this best-of-seven set.

In the basketball playoff odds that have been posted on this game by the folks at BetAnySports, Cleveland is the favorite:

Cleveland Cavaliers -6
Boston Celtics + 6

Over 205.5 points -110
Under 205.5 points -110

Boston is not necessarily the kind of team that will come out and overwhelm opponents; they just do a whole lot of things very well, and even though they don't have what you would call a superstar scorer, since Kyrie Irving went down with an injury, they have exquisite balance, so they spread out the opposing defense naturally. And they move the ball around; 61% of their baskets in this series have come by way of an assist.

Everybody chips in, and they have gotten great play from their guards. In fact, Terry Rozier, who has been starting in place of Irving, and Jaylen Brown, the third pick in last year's NBA draft, have combined to outscore Cleveland's starting backcourt by a 72-12 margin. Of course, when you have an offense that is dominated to a considerable extent by one player, as Cleveland has with King James, there is always going to be the risk that teammates don't feel involved. And there have been some remarks in that regard coming from players like Tristan Thompson. Sometimes, with an excessive amount of isolation, the other players have a habit of just standing around.

Regardless of all that, Cleveland needs to shoot better from the outside. They have connected on only 24.6% of their three-pointers in these first two games, and they may want to contemplate turning up the tempo a little to try to take advantage of some transition situations. They are playing their familiar veterans extensively, and these guys have "been there" before. But as far as a tactician is concerned, Tyronn Lue is really no match for Stevens, who has been the league's most successful coach when it comes to scoring right out of a timeout.

Still, even though Cleveland looked like it may have rolled over and play dead in Game 2, you know they have a big effort in them. And we're not just talking about LeBron; there is offensive firepower available, especially on the outside with JR Smith and Kyle Korver. Keep a couple of things in mind here – James, in his NBA career, has never lost a Game 3 after his team has gone down 2-0, and the Celtics have emerged victorious only one time in five road games in this post-season. So in a recommendation that is somewhat measured, we will lay the points with the Cavs.

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