Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game 1 Odds Preview, Matchup Stats

The Atlanta Hawks may be the top seed heading into Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday, but the second-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers are the favorites to win the series and advance to the NBA Finals.

The reason, of course, is the presence of Cleveland star LeBron James, who is playing in this round for the fifth year in a row, the previous four all coming as a member of the Miami Heat.

Atlanta is a consensus one-point home favorite in Game 1 at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark but a +185 underdog (bet $100 to win $185) to win the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers, who are -225 favorites (bet $225 to win $100).

The Hawks are also 9-to-1 to win the 2015 NBA championship with Cleveland the 13-5 second choice behind the Golden State Warriors (4-7), who remain the favorites for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

While home-court advantage will be on Atlanta’s side to start the series, the Cavs will be focused on winning one of the first two games to steal that edge.

The Hawks have won seven of the past eight meetings with Cleveland, according to the OddsShark NBA Database, including three of four during the regular season. The lone loss was a blowout, though, as the Cavs won the first meeting 127-94 back on November 15 as seven-point home favorites.

Atlanta won both meetings versus Cleveland at home by an average of 8.5 points.

The Hawks got to the Eastern Conference Finals by eliminating the Washington Wizards in six games, winning the last two by a combined three points with the total going under for bettors in both. They got a winning shot by Al Horford to take Game 5 at home 82-81 after Washington’s Paul Pierce hit a three-pointer, and then saw Pierce run out of time on a potential game-tying three-pointer in a 94-91 Game 6 victory.

The Cavs knocked out the Chicago Bulls in six games in the second round and played their best in the series clincher, which resulted in a 94-73 rout on the road. Cleveland was a two-point underdog in Game 6 and broke a skid of three straight non-covers with the easy win.

James shot just 40 percent from the field against the Bulls but still averaged 26.2 points, 11 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Point guard Kyrie Irving is a question mark heading into this series, as he is dealing with foot and knee injuries that limited him against Chicago. However, Irving practiced Monday and is expected to play in Game 1 of the Cavaliers vs. Hawks betting matchup.