The Conference Finals were highly entertaining, as both the East and West went to seven games. But here we are, and it’s the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers ready to face off once again. These two teams have played each other in the Finals in each of the past three seasons, with Golden State winning two of the three.
The Warriors will be the favorites once again and hope to get out to an early lead in Game 1. Golden State has home court advantage in this series and will be expected to win. The Cavaliers do not have nearly the same depth as Golden State but do boast LeBron James, and he alone is enough to believe they have a chance to win another title.
These teams are very familiar with each other and Game 1 in Oakland will tip off yet another classic showdown between the Cavaliers and the Warriors in NBA basketball gambling.
Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals is on Thursday, May 31, 2018 at 9 p.m. ET at Oracle Arena in Oakland, California. The contest will be nationally televised on ABC.
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Odds Analysis
The Warriors have opened up as whopping 12-point favorites to claim Game 1 of this series. It is early on but each side is getting about 50 percent of the action. However, the spread seems high and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see it drop before the tip.
The scoring total is listed at 215.5 points, with the “under” currently getting the lion’s share of the action. Golden State is listed as the heavy -1097 favorites on the moneyline, while the Cavs are the +710 underdogs to pull off the upset.
Injury Report
The Cavaliers did not have power forward Kevin Love in their Game 7 win over the Boston Celtics due to a concussion. His availability for Game 1 is in doubt and that’s a major reason why the Warriors are favored by so many points.
Love is Cleveland’s second-best player and will be key for the team if it is able to upset the Warriors in this series. Check near tip to see his availability as it could have a sizable effect on the spread.
The Warriors are hoping to get back small forward Andre Iguodala, who has missed the past four games with a leg injury. While his injury hurts, it is not as big of a deal as that of Love’s.
Season Series
Golden State went 2-0 against Cleveland in the regular season with the last meeting between the two squads taking place in mid-January. The Warriors defeated the Cavs 99-92 on Christmas Day at home and then again on the road on January 15th, winning that one 118 -108.
James finished with 32 points and eight rebounds in that most recent showdown while the Warriors top performer that night, Kevin Durant, also had 32 points and finished with eight assists.
With the Cavs’ mid-season roster moves, it will be a slightly different-looking starting lineup this time around for Cleveland so it remains to be seen how exactly these two squads will match up. The Warriors have more starpower, but again the Cavs have one of this generation’s greatest talents in James.
Free NBA ATS Picks
James absolutely carried the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals and is going to need to be close to perfect in Game 1 to give Cleveland a chance at winning the contest. The Warriors have the superior firepower and the home court advantage, so they should certainly win this game, but the spread is too high.
The Cavaliers are the choice to cover in Game 1 of the NBA Finals in basketball betting lines.
NBA ATS Pick: Warriors 111, Cavaliers 103
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