The Cleveland Cavaliers may have made a big statement with their overtime win at home over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday night. Of course, they may also have shown why they’ve been losing so much recently, thanks to that rickety defense that they’re rolling out there lately — the teams were tied at 129 at the end of regulation. So while Cleveland can score at a high pace, they’re going to have a hard time in the klieg lights of the postseason, particularly given how much the team is carping at each other. So let’s take a look at the NBA Championship betting chances of each of the teams to take away the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the Finals.
Updated 2018 NBA Championship Odds – February 8th
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Golden State (4/7)
The Warriors lost twice last week — including a game in Denver on Saturday when they led entering the fourth quarter. They had won 37 in a row when they led at the end of the third quarter. Is this dominant team hitting some doldrums? I doubt it.Houston (13/2)
In the 27 games that Chris Paul and James Harden have started together for the Rockets, the team is 24-3. We saw their latest lesson of another contending team on Saturday, when Houston won by 32, and Paul became the fourth player in league history to put up at least 200 games with at least 20 points and 10 assists. Oh, and Paul had a +47 rating in the game, the best number in his career.Cleveland (10/1)
Boston (12/1)
Boston’s Kyrie Irving is on the shelf right now, but Terry Rozier has come in to post a triple-double and then a 30-point game in the first two starts of his career. That’s the first time any player has done that since the 1970-71 season, when starting stats first began to be tracked. Cleveland continues to have the whiniest superstar in recent memory, as LeBron came on after that Houston debacle and said the Cavs don’t belong on national television anymore. He’s waiting for the Cavs to add more pieces around him…and the Cavs are waiting for him to commit to stay instead of having another “The Decision” special. Which side will blink first?Toronto (16/1)
The Raptors delivered a huge message with their 111-91 shellacking of Boston at home on Tuesday. Can the Raptors actually win a big playoff series, though?Oklahoma City, San Antonio (25/1)
The Spurs started a six-game road trip last night — and the road hasn’t been as kind to them this year, as they are just 12-15 away from their home cooking. The Thunder just delivered a 20-point win over Golden State on Tuesday thanks to epic nights from Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Is Native America’s superteam finally turning on?Minnesota (28/1)
This is a good dark horse bet — but remember that the Warriors and Rockets stand in their way. The combination of Jimmy Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns is tough for any team to shut down, but can they turn up their defensive game enough to get key stops in May and June?Milwaukee (33/1)
Since the Bucks fired Jason Kidd, they have won six of seven. Giannis Antetokounmpo has put up 26.8 points and 12.3 boards per game since Kidd left town.Philadelphia, Washington (66/1)
Yes, John Wall is out — but the Wizards have won four in a row, their longest winning streak this year. But can they keep up the momentum? In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid showed that he can play back-to-backs. However, can the Sixers play the sort of defense that holds up in the postseason?More NBA Championship Odds
- Detroit, Indiana, Miami (80/1)
- Denver, Portland (100/1)
- Utah (125/1)
- L.A. Clippers (200/1)
- Charlotte, Chicago, L.A. Lakers, New Orleans (250/1)
- Brooklyn, Memphis, New York, Phoenix (1000/1)
- Atlanta, Dallas, Orlando, Sacramento (2500/1)
