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Last season at this time, it was the Golden State Warriors who were rolling into the NBA Finals, while the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to be just barely getting by. Now, the roles are reversed in a rematch for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals promises to be a tremendous game, and it should be a good precursor for what could be an epic series.
NBA Finals Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cleveland Cavaliers +5.5
Golden State Warriors -5.5
Over/Under 210
ODDS ANALYSIS
Last year in the Finals, the Cavaliers were relatively big dogs in all of their games in Oakland. They started at +6 and moved to +7.5 for Game 2 and +9.5 for Game 3. To their credit, the Cavs did force Game 1 to overtime, and they came back and won Game 2. After that though, this series really wasn't all that close.
This time though, the implication is there that Cleveland has a real shot. The Cavs are only set at +5.5, and for live betting purposes, that number isn't big enough to scare off moneyline bettors on either side as well.
The total is the Finals started at 203.5 and dipped all the way to 193.5 by the time the decisive Game 6 rolled around. This year, the number starts significantly higher at 210.5, though live bettors should be aware that the under posted a 3-2-1 mark in the 2015 Finals.
KEY MATCHUP
This series is clearly going to be decided at the three-point line one way or the other. Though both of these teams can get the ball to the rack when they have to, both proved that they can be softened up by big time defenders in the paint. Neither team has that one enforcer who can change the game, but the names to watch in Game 1 are the junkyard dogs.
Don't be surprised if men like Festus Ezeli, Anderson Varejao and Andrew Bogut end up spending a little more time on the court. The small lineup might be all fine and dandy for long stretches for the Warriors, but in order to keep LeBron from taking this game over, they're going to have to body up with him at some point.
Andre Iguodala has been fantastic in this postseason for the second straight year, and he's likely to get the draw on James more often than not, but unlike last year when the Golden State defense was simple able to crash down and try to keep James from taking the game over, this season, the team has to honor all five of the guys on the court as lethal shooters from the outside as well as at the rack.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
We've already mentioned the three-point shooting of these teams, and it begs to be repeated just how strong these clubs have been from beyond the arc.
Stephen Curry just set a record for the most threes in a seven-game playoff series with 32, and Klay Thompson knocked down 11 threes in an unconscious Game 6 in the Western Conference Finals.
Yet would you believe that Cleveland is averaging more threes per game (14.4) than Golden State (12.5) in the playoffs? Sure, the Cavaliers are jacking up more attempts, but they're also knocking down 43.4 percent from deep, easily the best mark in the Association.
Toss in the fact that Cleveland is averaging just 11.6 turnovers per game, 2.4 per game fewer than Golden State, and the makings are there for Game 1 to be very interesting for live bettors.
NBA Odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneylines are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker right now! Bet on the NBA today as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors square off Thursday, June 2, 2016 at 9:00 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena. The matchup will be televised nationally on ABC.
