The Cleveland Cavaliers denied the Golden State Warriors a successful close out game on Monday night, defeating the defending champs at the Oracle Arena to keep the 2016 NBA Finals alive and well. Game six kicks the series back to Quicken Loans Arena, too, and suddenly LeBron James and co. just might have a say in how this year’s NBA title series unfolds.
The Dubs looked to be in full control just days ago, as they stormed out to a commanding 3-1 series lead. However, the NBA issued an extra flagrant foul to Draymond Green for a strike to LeBron James’ groin and it led to his game five suspension. Under-manned on both ends of the court, the Dubs fell apart in the second half, giving way to incredible 41-point performances by both James and Kyrie Irving.
Irving was insanely efficient on the night and James played with an aggressive demeanor we arguably hadn’t seen out of him in these entire Finals. The duo was so good that the Cavs won easily down the stretch and many were left wondering if the win was just one last desperate gasp at staving off the inevitable, or if Cleveland finally showed up, just in time to win their first NBA championship.
Logic does not support Cleveland running the table and stealing this series, and neither does Vegas. As it stands, Bovada still favors the Warriors over the Cavs in the 2016 NBA Finals, with a maximum of two games left to be played. Here are the current NBS Finals series odds:
Golden State won 73 regular season games, had a 3-1 lead and has the home court edge. It’s no surprise why they’re the favorite and it’s very possible this series ends in game six. Of course, all of that logic pointing to a Warriors title is precisely why you may want to throw down a bet in favor of Cleveland accomplishing the impossible.
There is a lot to consider here. The solid payout is one big reason to bet on the Cavs. After all, a $1,000 bet would return a cool $3,250. Bettors may want to factor in a few things. For one, Andrew Bogut just sprained his knee and may be out for this series. Cleveland just accomplished a “first” with James/Kyrie becoming the first duo to top 40+ points in the same Finals game together. Perhaps they’re ready to march their way to another “first” and become the first NBA team to overcome a 3-1 series hole in the NBA Finals.
It’d all only be fitting, as it’d lead to Cleveland’s first NBA title, as well. It’s a lot of if’s and maybe’s and it’s quite possible NBA experts, fans and bettors may be underestimating the difficulty of winning three straight games to win a league title. Cleveland winning game six on their home court isn’t even a guarantee. The Warriors get Draymond Green back and just got done winning at Quicken Loans Arena in game four. And even if they lose that game, they’ll have their home crowd backing them if the series makes it to a seventh and final game.
The odds and logic still favor Golden State. They have the league’s MVP, home court advantage and simply from start to finish have been the better team. If the odds were even, the Dubs would remain the easy call. That shouldn’t stop you from floating a bet the Cavs way, though. After all, if they make history, they make you some coin, too.
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