NBA Finals: Golden St. vs Cleveland

Published on Thursday, 6/2/16, at 7:30 a.m. Eastern.

The NBA Finals tip off tonight at Oracle Arena in Oakland where Golden St. will host Cleveland in a rematch of last year’s Finals. As of early this morning, most betting shops had the Warriors listed as six-point home favorites for Game 1.

The total for ‘over/under’ bets was 210 combined points, while the Cavaliers were available on the money line for a +215 return (risk $100 to win $215 for the Cavs to win outright).

For first-half bets, the Warriors are favored by 3.5 points with a total of 109. They are two-point ‘chalk’ at a -115 price for first-quarter wagers with a total of 54.5 points. The Cavs are +145 on the money line in the opening quarter.

Sportsbook.ag has Golden St. as the -210 ‘chalk’ for the series, while the Cavs are the +177 underdogs to win their first title in franchise history (risk $100 to win $177).

Most all betting shops have a slew of proposition bets available for tonight’s game and the series. We’ll use the ones at Sportsbook.ag here in this space.

For instance, if you’re bullish on the Cavs tonight, you can bet them on the adjusted line. They can be taken -3.5 points for a +280 payout. On the flip side, the Warriors are -12.5 for a +215 return.

The total number of games played in the series can be bet with a total of 5.5 or 6.5 with varying odds. To wagers ‘under’ 5.5 games, you can earn a lucrativer +225 payout (the ‘over’ is -300). If you like the series to go the seven-game distance, one can bet ‘over’ 6.5 games for a +200 return (‘under’ 6.5 has a -255 price).

Here are the odds to win MVP of the Finals:

Steph Curry -130 ‘chalk’ (risk $130 to win $100)
LeBron James 2/1
Klay Thompson 5/1
Draymond Green 10/1
Kyrie Irving 10/1
Andre Iguodala 25/1 (**Iguodala won Finals MVP honors last year**)
Kevin Love 30/1
J.R. Smith 80/1
Harrison Barnes 100/1

–I like a small play on Thompson to win MVP honors at 5/1 odds and I’m not against a small wager on Irving to win MVP at 10/1 odds.

–Gamblers should keep in mind that Green is facing a one-game suspension if he gets a flagrant-one foul or two more technical fouls at any point in the series.

–LeBron’s total for points scored tonight is 27.5 (-115 either way). His total for rebounds is 9.5 (-115 either way) and assists is 7.5 (‘over’ -130, ‘under’ +100).

–Irving’s total for points is 24.5 (-115 either way).

–Love’s total for points is 17 (‘under’ -130, ‘over’ +100). Rebounds 10 (‘under’ -130, ‘over’ +100).

–Curry’s total for points is 31.5 (-115 either way), while his made 3-balls is 5.5 (‘under’ -140, ‘over’ +100).

–Thompson’s total for points is 24.5 (-115 either way).

–Tonight’s total of 210 is the highest Cleveland has seen in these playoffs and the lowest the Warriors have had in the postseason.

–The Cavs went 3-1 both straight up and against the spread in four games as underdogs on Tyronn Lue’s watch. The only defeat came in a game James sat out.

—My pick for tonight’s Game 1 is right here.