No matter what changes LeBron James influences, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a better bet to win next year’s NBA championship than the Golden State Warriors are to repeat. The Westgate Las Vegas sports book opened Cleveland as the 9-4 favorite to win the 2015-16 title, with Golden State second at 5-1.
At the drive-thru window, it’s not always wise to super-size the drink and fries. Sometimes, it’s smarter to go smaller. In this case, the Golden State Warriors shoved aside the 7-footer and went with Andre Iguodala.
LeBron James scored 44 points Thursday but walked off incredibly disappointed, same as everyone who bet on his Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Golden State stole the game and the money in a 108-100 overtime victory. The Cavaliers, 6-point underdogs, controlled most of the game before imploding in the final five minutes.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be played Thursday, with the Golden State Warriors a minus-210 betting favorite to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers and win their first championship since 1975. Here’s some of the bets offered at the Westgate Las Vegas sports book.
The Golden State Warriors are favored to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals and win their first championship since 1975. Six members of the Las Vegas Review-Journal sports staff and six handicappers predict the outcome.
Cleveland and Golden State form the perfect NBA Finals pair. The feud features two big-time stars and will play well on TV, blow up Twitter and energize Las Vegas sports books. The Warriors, as a minus-210 series favorite, seem to be the wiseguys’ side. The betting public is backing the Cavaliers.
