After both teams rampaged through their respective competition en route to a third straight NBA Finals matchup, Vegas has the Golden State Warriors as heavy favorites to win it all for the second year in a row.
According to ESPN, The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has Golden State as a -260 favorite, with Cleveland at +220. That means if you put $100 on the Warriors to win the title, the payout would be a paltry $38.46. A C-note on the Cavs would warrant a return of $200. Sportsbook director Chuck Esposito told ESPN that the ticket count has been nearly identical, but larger wagers have been on the Warriors.
Interestingly, this is sixth time in eight Finals appearances that a LeBron James led team has entered as an underdog.
Though the spread is relatively large for a Finals series, the odds are the slimmest the Warriors have faced so far this postseason, after being heavy favorites in the first three rounds. According to ESPN, Golden State was a -20,000 favorite against the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round, -10,000 against the Utah Jazz in the second round and -1,600 to win against the San Antonio Spurs. The odds reflected reality, with Golden State sweeping all three series.
Kevin Durant is currently the favorite to win Finals MVP, with Stephen Curry placing second and LeBron James, a three-time Finals MVP, third at 2-to-1. Golden State is currently a seven-point favorite for Game 1 that will be played at Oracle Arena on June 1.