NBA Finals 2016: Cavaliers vs. Warriors Game 2 Odds, Prop Bets and Predictions
Las Vegas loves the Golden State Warriors over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2016 NBA Finals.
It's easy to see why after Game 1 last Thursday. LeBron James and Co. hit the road and took a 104-89 loss, which only looks worse when one realizes Stephen Curry scored just 11 points.
Alas, Las Vegas liked the Warriors going into the series, too. Such is life for a 73-win team after an epic Game 7 victory in the Western Conference Finals. They're going into a matchup against a Cavaliers team that, while dominant, appeared to have a much easier road through the Eastern Conference.
With Game 2 ready to tip off Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC, let's take a minute to break down some of the notable odds and predict the winner.
Odds Breakdown
Indeed, most everything favored the Warriors out of the gates and still does.
Stephen Campbell of Odds Shark compiled a list of every prop bet imaginable surrounding the series. The trends aren't hard to figure out—Las Vegas doesn't see the series as a sweep, and the initial odds did not suggest the Cavaliers could win out in a hurry:
| Cleveland in Four | +2,500 |
| Cleveland in Five | +1,400 |
| Cleveland in Six | +500 |
| Cleveland in Seven | +800 |
| Golden State in Four | +750 |
| Golden State in Five | +325 |
| Golden State in Six | +500 |
| Golden State in Seven | +300 |
| Four | +650 |
| Five | +230 |
| Six | +210 |
| Seven | +200 |
That makes plenty of sense considering the Warriors lost all of two games at Oracle Arena during the regular season, and Game 1 solidified it. Despite Curry and Thompson being held to just 11 and nine points, respectively, their team still won by double digits.
Golden State didn't need much from its backcourt with the team as a whole shooting 49 percent from the floor compared to Cleveland's 38 percent. The Warriors lost the battle on the glass 56-43, but it was a moot point considering Golden State only turned the ball over nine times.
"You don't win championships without the entire squad coming in and making an impact on games," Curry said, according to ESPN.com. "That's why we're here."
A 45-point outburst from the Golden State bench is just what the team needed after such a grueling series against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the prior round. It makes for what seems like simplistic team-based bets too—chances are Curry and the shooters only improve as the series continues, as they did in the conference finals.
Good luck figuring out individual props, though. What's good for the Warriors isn't good for bettors on the prop hunt. Curry leads the way in MVP odds (-125), but after Andre Iguodala pulled in the award last year and Curry's lackluster output in Game 1, the award could go to anyone.
It's the same story for something such as top point-scorer. Curry has the lead (-125) there too, but Game 1 saw five players score 16 or more points.
With a series like this, it's best to stick with the team odds. Some of the individual numbers look appealing right now—Draymond Green as top scorer (+5000), anyone?—but those who want to play it safe have an easy way to do so.
Game 2 Prediction
What more can the Cavaliers do?
Golden State didn't need arguably its two best players to upend Cleveland in Game 1.
Put it this way: The Warriors dished 29 assists, while Cleveland made 32 shots from the floor—proof enough they're one of the best teams ever. Or put it another way: James almost went for a triple-double (23 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists) and still could only keep the Cavaliers within 15.
Cleveland won't shoot such a miserable clip every night, but neither will Curry and Thompson. According to Odds Shark, Las Vegas has the Warriors as six-point favorites Sunday, which feels about right.
The Cavaliers entered the series well rested and much healthier than last year, yet they still lost to a deeper, more efficient team, squashing a semblance of interest in seeing how the two sides compared.
There's still time, but Sunday's affair goes down in Golden State. There's little in the way of short-notice adjustments the Cavaliers can make other than to shoot better. At home, the Warriors will continue to play their game and cruise before things get trickier on the road.
Prediction: Warriors 118, Cavaliers 110
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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