For the anxious hoops fans, the wait is almost over because the NBA Finals are just a few days away and the most anticipated matchup between the league’s two juggernaut teams has come. That moment where we watch them throwing their best blows for a third straight NBA Finals showdown is set.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers imposed their dominance on an absolute tear en route to an impressive 12-1 playoff record, securing another trip to the NBA Finals
The Cavs separated themselves from every other team led by LeBron James who is averaging 32.5 points, 7.0 assists, and 8.0 rebounds per game on 56 percent shooting from the field. If that wasn’t enough, James scored his 5,995th point topping Michael Jordan for the most career playoff points — Jordan used to hold the record since 1998. There is no argument to the fact that King James is having a historic postseason run.
Looking at the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors also asserted dominance over their opponents by not losing a single game and stepping into the NBA Finals with a perfect 12-0 record, and are looking to once again challenge the reigning champs.
Many feel the path to the Finals for both teams has been nothing more than an easy ride. One can argue that both teams just did their jobs knowing fully well that the task to bring home the Larry O’Brien trophy won’t be easy. One of the unique aspects of the 2017 NBA Finals is its feature of multiple All-Stars and MVP candidates on the floor at once. Due to the competitive natures of the players involved, this series will be nothing short of spectacular, even if they come in rusty for Game 1 after the week long break.
What we have are two great teams playing fantastic basketball at the highest level, looking to prove who really belongs at the top of the league.
Before the season began, oddsmakers marked the Warriors as heavy favorites to win the NBA Finals due to the addition of Kevin Durant to a team that had won 73 games last season.
After this year’s impressive postseason runs, the odds have been updated between the two teams and here are the latest results according to TopBet.
Here are the odds of winning the NBA Title below.
(Smallest number means the greatest odds to win in each of the categories)
- Cleveland Cavaliers +220
- Golden State Warriors -300
What these numbers tell us is the Warriors are still favored to win the series, and despite their perfect postseason record, the odds haven’t changed much from the initial ones.
Here are the odds for exactly how many games it will take to win the series.
- Cleveland Cavaliers win (4-0) +3000
- Cleveland Cavaliers win (4-1) +1400
- Cleveland Cavaliers win (4-2) +500
- Cleveland Cavaliers win (4-3) +650
- Golden State Warriors win (4-0) +550
- Golden State Warriors win (4-1) +250
- Golden State Warriors win (4-2) +375
- Golden State Warriors win (4-3) +290
These numbers basically says the greatest chance for the Cavs to win the title is for the series to extend to a full seven games.
Here are the odds for the players with the best chances of claiming the Finals MVP trophy.
- LeBron James +180
- Stephen Curry +220
- Kyrie Irving +1400
- Klay Thompson +2500
- Kevin Durant +190
- Draymond Green + 750
- Kevin Love + 2500
- Andre Iguodala +7500
- Everyone else +1500
Based on these, James will likely be the Finals MVP should the Cavs win and Kevin Durant has the highest chances of being Finals MVP should the Warriors win.
There are always variables, but that’s why the games are played. Game 1 of the NBA Finals begins Thursday at 9 p.m. EST on ABC.
