Game 5 of this year’s NBA Finals will be held this Friday, and sports betting sites are anxious to find out if the Golden State Warriors will in fact sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, the Warriors jumped to a 3-1 lead over the Cavaliers but LeBron James and company were able to mount one of the most historic comebacks in league history to win the title.
Because of this, some players betting on NBA playoffs are hesitant to rule the Cavaliers out in Game 5. After all, Cleveland was so close to upsetting the Cavs that they could smell it in Game 4. However, a quick glance at NBA history will reveal that Cleveland is in fact in over their heads.
In 126 series, no team has ever been able to overcome a 3-0 deficit. While this doesn’t exactly rule out the Cavs for Game 5, it does make it abundantly clear that Cleveland will not be winning back-to-back titles. But for those players who are still unconvinced, take a look at what the NBA sportsbook odds are predicting for Friday’s matchup.
Game 5 – Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – Friday, June 9th
When: 9:00 pm ET
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland
Series: Warriors Lead 3-0
TV: ABC
Stream: ABC GO
NBA Sportsbook Odds:
Golden State Warriors -6 (-110) 227 ½ (-110) -235
Cleveland Cavaliers +6 (-110) 227 ½ (-110) +195
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors will once again have to balance the fact that they are NBA favorites with their desire to win. Earlier this week, after Game 5 had concluded, Klay Thompson stated the team’s desire to finish the series in Cleveland, and return to the Bay area as champions.
Golden State has a very real opportunity to do that this Friday, but it won’t be easy. The Cavaliers had many opportunities to win Game 4, but in the closing minutes of the contest, the Cavs made some pivotal mistakes that cost them the game. The Warriors went on an 11 unanswered point run, 7 of which came from Kevin Durant.
But now Cleveland has had some time to assess mishaps, and they might not make the same mistakes this time around. The NBA sportsbook odds expect Golden State to do what they’ve always done; put on an offensive show. There’s no way the Cavs can stop them, and LeBron can’t outscore by himself.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Game 4 was very winnable for the Cavaliers and a big part of that had to do with James’ performance early on in the night. Unfortunately, a couple of bad decisions on behalf of James in the final minutes of the game ended up costing Golden State the contest. However, James was the reason that they were so close to winning it and a little help from his teammates would’ve assured a Cleveland victory.
Tristan Thompson finished Game 4 with 0 points. But an even more disappointing stat is that he only made 3 rebounds in 23 minutes. Likewise, Kevin Love only put up 9 points in 37 minutes. That is an extreme lack of production, one that even LeBron can’t overcome. Ultimately, it’s up to the Cavs not to shoot themselves in the foot this Friday
