Should LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers be the overall favorite to win the NBA Championship after their emphatic sweeps of both, the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors in the first two rounds? Will Steph and the loaded Golden State Warriors get out of the Western Conference against the dangerous Spurs or Rockets before likely facing the Cavs in the finals for the third straight year?
Analysis: Out west, the Golden State Warriors will get past the feisty Utah Jazz, even if they never cover the spread in doing so. With Golden State assured a berth in the conference finals, all eyes are on the Spurs and Rockets. While Houston is the far more explosive team offensively, the Spurs are the pick to get the series win seeing as how they have regained home-court advantage in the series and have two of the final three games will be played at the AT&T center in South Texas.
No matter who wins though, I don’t see either team getting past a Golden State squad that has the look of a team that is determined to meet the Cavs in the finals. San Antonio will get past Houston in seven, but the Spurs will fall to the Dubs in five in the conference finals.
Analysis: With the Cavs and Warriors meeting in the NBA Finals for the third straight year, I fully believe the Warriors are going to extract the revenge they’re looking for after falling to Cleveland in historic fashion last season.
While I’ve been very impressed with the Cavs at both ends of the floor this postseason, the fact of the matter is that Cleveland hasn’t faced the toughest competition in the league in smacking the Pacers and Raptors senseless in the first two rounds – and they won’t face the same kind of elite competition that Golden State will either in the conference finals. More importantly, the Warriors have too much talent for even the Cavs this postseason thanks to the addition of Kevin Durant.
While the Cavs rank fourth in scoring (110.3 ppg) and 20th in points allowed (107.2 ppg), the Warriors are the better team at both ends of the floor in leading the league in scoring (115.9 ppg) and ranking 11th in points allowed (104.3 ppg) despite playing in the loaded Western Conference. In the end, the trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love just won’t be able to matchup up against Golden State’s quartet of Steph Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and the Draymond Green.
Not only that, but the Dubs have the better bench with veterans like Andre Iguodala, Shawn Livingston, David West and more recently, JaVale McGee being able to outperform counterparts like Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, Deron William and Kyle Korver. Make no mistake about it, Golden State will win this year’s NBA championship.
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Are the Boston Celtics or Washington Wizards actually capable of upsetting the Cavs and denying them another trip to the finals? I’m going to answer all of the aforementioned questions and much more with some expert betting analysis on the latest NBA Futures Odds to win both conference championships and the 2016-17 NBA Championship.Updated NBA Title Odds & Betting Predictions (May 8th)
Eastern Conference
Cleveland Cavaliers 2/11 Boston Celtics 13/2 Washington Wizards 9/1 Analysis: The Cleveland Cavaliers are already in the conference finals awaiting the winner of the Celtic Wizards series, so they’re going to be well-rested. If the Celtics beat the Wizards in the conference semifinal showdown, I’m thinking Boston will go out against the Cavs in no more than six games at best and possibly five. If Washington gets the series win against the C’s , I think it’s quite possible that the Wizards could take Cleveland the full seven games – before falling on the road to give the Cavs the berth in the finals for the Eastern Conference. Sure, it’s going to cost you with the Cavs a 2/11 pick to win the conference, but then again, it’s a virtual lock that James and company reach the finals for the third straight season.Western Conference
Golden State Warriors 1/10 San Antonio Spurs 8/1 Houston Rockets 12/1 Utah Jazz 2000/1Analysis: Out west, the Golden State Warriors will get past the feisty Utah Jazz, even if they never cover the spread in doing so. With Golden State assured a berth in the conference finals, all eyes are on the Spurs and Rockets. While Houston is the far more explosive team offensively, the Spurs are the pick to get the series win seeing as how they have regained home-court advantage in the series and have two of the final three games will be played at the AT&T center in South Texas.
No matter who wins though, I don’t see either team getting past a Golden State squad that has the look of a team that is determined to meet the Cavs in the finals. San Antonio will get past Houston in seven, but the Spurs will fall to the Dubs in five in the conference finals.
NBA Championship Odds
Golden State Warriors 1/3 Cleveland Cavaliers 5/2 San Antonio Spurs 15/1 Houston Rockets 20/1 Boston Celtics 30/1 Washington Wizards 50/1 Utah Jazz 3500/1Analysis: With the Cavs and Warriors meeting in the NBA Finals for the third straight year, I fully believe the Warriors are going to extract the revenge they’re looking for after falling to Cleveland in historic fashion last season.
While I’ve been very impressed with the Cavs at both ends of the floor this postseason, the fact of the matter is that Cleveland hasn’t faced the toughest competition in the league in smacking the Pacers and Raptors senseless in the first two rounds – and they won’t face the same kind of elite competition that Golden State will either in the conference finals. More importantly, the Warriors have too much talent for even the Cavs this postseason thanks to the addition of Kevin Durant.
While the Cavs rank fourth in scoring (110.3 ppg) and 20th in points allowed (107.2 ppg), the Warriors are the better team at both ends of the floor in leading the league in scoring (115.9 ppg) and ranking 11th in points allowed (104.3 ppg) despite playing in the loaded Western Conference. In the end, the trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love just won’t be able to matchup up against Golden State’s quartet of Steph Curry, Durant, Klay Thompson and the Draymond Green.
Not only that, but the Dubs have the better bench with veterans like Andre Iguodala, Shawn Livingston, David West and more recently, JaVale McGee being able to outperform counterparts like Iman Shumpert, Channing Frye, Deron William and Kyle Korver. Make no mistake about it, Golden State will win this year’s NBA championship.
