Betting public banking on Warriors to close out Cavaliers

For the second straight season, the Cavaliers trail the Warriors 3-1 in the NBA Finals entering Game 5 at Oakland’s Oracle Arena.

Cleveland beat Golden State 112-97 in Game 5 last year en route to the city’s first professional sports title in 52 years. But the betting public is banking on a different result Monday night.

The Warriors, coming off their first loss of the postseason in Friday’s 137-116 defeat in Cleveland, are 8½-point favorites over the Cavaliers.

“The Warriors have been heavily supported,” Westgate sports book manager Jeff Sherman said Monday. “There’s eight times as much Warriors spread money as Cavaliers.”

The total is 231½ and Sherman said the public is betting the over on the game, first half (121½) and first quarter (62½).

The ticket count on the money line is 2-1 in favor of Cleveland at plus-270.

“Do you believe this Cavs’ resurgence is for real?” Golden Nugget sports book supervisor Aaron Kessler said. “I’m not much of an NBA guy but I think the Warriors will run them out of the gym tonight.”

Golden State is 15-1 straight up in the playoffs, 11-5 against the spread and 12-4 on over-unders.

“Not taking into account the spread, I think the Warriors will win tonight,” Sherman said. “I can’t imagine they put themselves in position to go back to Cleveland for Game 6 and start feeling the pressure in Game 7. I think they take care of business. As far as the 8½, if they win by just three, they’re just as happy.”

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Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com or 702-266-6080. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.