Las Vegas NBA Odds Give Cavs Little Chance After Golden Opportunity Lost in Dramatic Game 1

Posted on: June 2, 2018, 12:00h. 

Last updated on: June 1, 2018, 01:05h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
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NBA odds on the Cleveland Cavaliers upsetting the Golden State Warriors are even longer after a wild Game 1 of the best-of-seven Finals.

NBA odds Finals Cavs Warriors
With the game tied in the closing seconds, JR Smith mysteriously dribbled away from his own basket. After later losing Game 1, the NBA odds are even longer on Cleveland winning the championship. (Image: Lachlan Cunningham/Getty)

Cleveland, led by who other than LeBron James, nearly pulled off the Game 1 upset in Oakland, but an inexcusable last-second play by JR Smith and some questionable calls by the referees allowed the Warriors to force overtime where they took control.

Tied 107-107 with just seconds remaining, Cavs guard George Hill missed his second free throw, but Smith recovered the rebound. Seemingly thinking Cleveland was ahead, JR dribbled away from the basket before passing back to Hill as the clock expired.

“He thought we were up one. He thought it was over,” Cavs coach Ty Lue said of the blunder.

But Smith said he was aware of the score, and was simply looking to get away from Kevin Durant. Regardless of which narrative is accurate, the Warriors dominated overtime 17-7 to go one up in the NBA Finals.

The game ended with a scuffle between both sides that resulted in Tristan Thompson being ejected.

Series prices were already long on the Cavs winning their second Larry O’Brien Trophy in three years. On Friday, those odds became even longer.

The Westgate SuperBook extended Cleveland’s odds from +650 prior to Game 1 to +900. The new series line gives the Cavs just a 10 percent chance of winning. A $100 bet and the improbable coming true nets $900.

Money on Golden State

Caesars Palace reported Thursday that its sportsbooks had taken three times as much money on the Warriors than the Cavs. But it printed more tickets on Cleveland with 12.5 points being afforded to the underdogs.

Those slips paid, as the Warriors won by only 10 points. The SuperBook sold at least eight bets on the potential of a Cavs sweep on 300/1 odds, money that the casino now keeps.

Game 2 is Sunday night at 5 pm local time (8 pm ET) in Oakland. The SuperBook opened the game line with the Warriors spotting the Cavs 12 points, and the over/under at 215.5. Game 1 saw the two teams collectively score 214 points in regulation.

MVP Odds

James was unquestionably the best player on the court in Game 1. He finished with 51 points, the fifth most points scored in an NBA Finals game in league history, on 19-32 shooting. He added eight rebounds and eight assists.

But to be the MVP, the player almost always has to be on the winning team. That’s why the SuperBook odds on the Bill Russell Award favored Kevin Durant prior to Game 1.

Durant was a bit off, scoring 26 points but on 8-22 shooting, including just one of seven from behind the arc. He added nine boards and six assists.

Durant is at 4/5 for Finals MVP. He’s followed by teammate Steph Curry at 3/2. James is third at 13/2.