The Golden State Warriors are 11-1 straight up and against the spread in their last 12 games at home including a 9-1 SU and ATS home record this postseason. The Warriors will look to start their title defense off with a win this Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cavaliers vs. Warriors odds, NBA Finals 2016: Golden State opens Finals as favorite at home
The Golden State Warriors have been set as the betting favorites as they get ready to open the 2016 NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Golden State is a 5.5-point home favorite in Game 1 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. This marks the first time in the 2016 playoffs that the Cleveland Cavaliers have gone off as a betting underdog.
One of the most impressive things about this Warriors squad is how well it does in the face of adversity. Needing four straight wins at the end of the regular season to set the all-time record for wins including two against San Antonio, the Warriors went 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS down the stretch. And down 3-to-1 in the Western Conference Finals, Golden State became just the 10th team in NBA history to come back from such a hole with a 3-0 SU and ATS run against the Oklahoma City Thunder. This Warriors team has both flash and substance.
The Warriors are 13-4 SU and 11-6 ATS in their last 17 games against the Cavaliers per the OddsShark NBA Database. Since losing Game 3 to Cleveland in the NBA Finals last year, Golden State is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS against the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have looked like a team on a mission this postseason, mowing through the Eastern Conference with a 12-2 SU and 9-5 ATS record. With red-hot shooting from the outside and a strong game inside fueled by LeBron James, the Cavaliers seem to have the firepower to keep up with the dangerous Warriors.
Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving are healthy this time around after both had to miss the finals with injury last season. Cleveland is 4-8 SU in its last 12 games as an underdog, but has gone 7-2 ATS in its last nine as a dog.
Thursday’s betting total is set at 210 points. The UNDER is 4-2-1 in the last seven games between these two teams.
This series has it all; bad blood from last year’s NBA Finals and two of the best players in the NBA going head-to-head in Stephen Curry and LeBron James. Golden State can’t afford a let-down performance in Game 1 coming off their emotional comeback over Oklahoma City facing a team as good and well-rested as the Cavaliers.
