NBA Finals Odds and Predictions

NBA Finals on May 31st

This best-of-seven-games series will finish off either at Game 6 (May 25 for the East and May 26 for the West) or Game 7 (May 27 in the Eastern Conference and May 28 for the West),

The NBA Finals are always one of the most watched sporting events of the year and 2018 will see the Cleveland Cavaliers take on last year’s winners The Golden State Warriors.

The Cavaliers were the Eastern Conference champions whilst the Golden State Warriors came through some tricky ties to emerge as the Western Conference champions.

These two rivals are meeting in the final for the fourth consecutive time although neither were the top seeds in their respective conferences. The Warriors were 4-1 winners in 2017 whilst the Cavaliers emerged victorious in 2016.

LeBron James is taking part in his eighth consecutive NBA Finals and is likely to have a huge impact on the outcome once again. The Cavaliers finished the season with a 50-32 record, finishing fourth but have once again displayed their aptitude for the play-off format.

The Warriors finished the season with a 58-24 record, securing them second place in the Western Conference.

 

NBA Finals Schedule

As always, the 2018 NBA Finals will be staged over seven hugely competitive games which began on March 31^st.

The Cavaliers will host four of the matches with the Warriors staging the other three.

Game 1: May 31^st – Cavaliers at Warriors – 9pm ET

Game 2: June 3^rd – Cavaliers at Warriors – 8pm ET

Game 3 – June 6^th – Warriors at Cavaliers – 9pm ET

Game 4 – June 8^th – Warriors at Cavaliers – 9pm ET

Game 5 – June 11^th – Cavaliers at Warriors – 9pm ET

Game 6 – June 14^th – Warriors at Cavaliers – 9pm ET

Game 7 – June 17^th – Cavaliers at Warriors – 8pm ET

 

How did they get here?

Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavaliers began by defeating the Indiana Pacers despite losing the first match. They were far too strong for the Toronto Raptors, beating them 4-0. They mounted a superb comeback against the Boston Celtics to book their place in the 2018 NBA Finals

Results – Cavaliers 4-3 Pacers

Cavaliers 4-0 Raptors

Cavaliers 4-3 Celtics

 

Golden State Warriors – The Warriors made a wonderful start to the play-offs with a 4-1 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. They equally as dominant against the New Orleans Pelicans, running out 4-1 winners. The Houston Rockets provided a much stiffer challenge but the Warriors won 101-92 in game 7 to secure their place in the 2018 NBA Final.

Results – Warriors 4-1 Spurs

Warriors 4-1 Pelicans

Warriors 4-3 Rockets

 

Strong Contenders for the NBA Finals MVP Title

The next big question is who will be crowned the NBA Finals MVP. If LeBron manages to push his team through after the rough year they have had, there is no question that he will pull a stellar game in the Finals. Warriors camps, the race is tighter, with legends like Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving all potential contenders for the spot. But if the Rockets manage to advance, James Harden who has emerged as a true leader this season will be hard to beat for the award – although his teammate Chris Paul is also a possible nominee, having pulled Houston through in Game 5.