NBA Finals 2017: Warriors vs. Cavaliers Game 5 Odds, Props and Predictions

No team has won the NBA Finals after losing the first three games of the series, but one team did come very close to that accomplishment.

The 1951 New York Knicks lost their first three NBA Finals games to the Rochester Royals (now the Sacramento Kings) by a combined 49 points. However, New York stormed back to take the next three to force a Game 7 in Rochester. Game 7 was tied at 75 late in the contest, but the Royals held on and won 79-75.

Now, the Golden State Warriors, who won their first three NBA Finals games against the Cleveland Cavaliers this year before losing Game 4, are a bit better than the 1951 Rochester Royals, but Cleveland has one of the best players of all time (LeBron James) and the league leader in broken ankles this season (Kyrie Irving). (Last year the Cavs won Game 3 before going down 3-1.)  

It's not impossible to think that the Cavs could storm back and make this a series, but it will be a tough task considering that Golden State is hosting Game 5.

Here are the latest Game 5 odds and props as well as a pick for the game.

Odds

Per OddsShark, the Warriors are 8.5-point favorites over the Cavs for Game 5, and the over/under sits at 231 points.

The line movement is interesting to note. The Warriors opened as 6.5-point favorites. Bettors pounced on that line, and then the sportsbooks moved it up to 11. It then settled back down to 8.5, where it has stayed for two days.

It's hard to argue with the large spread. Although Cleveland trounced Golden State on Friday night, the Warriors are near unbeatable at home, losing just five of 49 home games this year (including the playoffs). Last season, without Kevin Durant, the Warriors lost just five home games all season.

Oracle Arena is the toughest place for any road team to play, and Game 5 should be filled with loud and desperate fans who want to see the Warriors win the NBA Finals in person.

Props

Per Stephen Campbell of OddsShark, Kevin Durant was a huge -250 favorite (bet $250 to win $100) to win the NBA Finals MVP prior to Game 4. Stephen Curry is next on the list at +225, while LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are at +900 and +1600 respectively.

If the Warriors win on Monday night, Durant will be the MVP unless Steph Curry drops 50-plus points and then maybe there is an argument for Curry to take the award home.

However, Durant has been the best and most consistent Warrior in the NBA Finals, averaging 34.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 2.0 blocks per game. Most notably, he hasn't scored fewer than 31 points in any NBA Finals contest. Frankly, he's putting up one of the best NBA Finals performances in recent memory.

Predictions

It's hard to argue that Cleveland will pull off a win, simply because Oracle Arena is proving to be a near-impossible place to play.

Of course, Cleveland won two NBA Finals games at Golden State last season, but Durant was on the Oklahoma City Thunder back then. Now Durant is playing lights-out basketball and doesn't look like he will slow down anytime soon.

Expect LeBron James and Kyrie Irving to keep this game close, but ultimately, the Warriors will be too strong on offense. They will seal the NBA Finals with some late free throws down the stretch.

Pick: Golden State 120, Cleveland 110