NBA Finals 2016: Latest Cavaliers vs. Warriors Odds and Predictions After Game 6

It seems like just yesterday that the 2016 NBA Finals were all but over. The Golden State Warriors wrapped up Game 4 last Friday (June 10) with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland (108-97), and the general consensus was that Golden State would easily wrap up its second-straight title.

The Cavs' goose was cooked.

However, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving each dropped 41 points in Game 5 (while Draymond Green sat out due to a suspension) to send the series back to Cleveland. And in Game 6...well, Game 6 is one we are going to talk about for a long time.

James just simply went off. Again.

His stat line of 41 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks doesn't seem possible outside of a video game. But this man did it in the NBA Finals. 

Win or lose, there's almost no way anyone but James should be named Finals MVP. ESPN Stats and Info and Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders have more on James' dominance in this year's Finals.

James again got a significant contribution from Irving, who pitched in 23 points. But the supporting cast showed up as well. Tristan Thompson threw up 15 points and 16 rebounds and J.R. Smith dropped 14 points of his own on 4-of-10 shooting from three.

But the story of the night has to be Steph Curry fouling out late in the fourth quarter and subsequently getting ejected. Curry was not happy with the foul call that disqualified him, and he let the referee know it. He then tossed his mouthpiece into the crowd, earning himself a technical foul and an early shower. 

Bleacher Report provided a Vine of Curry's explosion.

Curious as some of the calls may have been, they were not the reason the Warriors lost. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo Sports spoke with Warriors head coach Steve Kerr after the game. Kerr agreed that the refs didn't cost his team the game, but he was not happy with the treatment of his star player.

Either way, the game happened, and we are now set up for a Game 7 to decide the championship once and for all. Cleveland and Golden State will square off in Oracle Arena Sunday, June 19 at 8 p.m. ET. 

Even though the Cavs, and James in particular, dominated the past two games, the Warriors are still favored to win it all. As of this writing (June 17, 9:00 a.m. E.T.), Odds Shark has the Warriors as five-point home favorites. 

History is also on the Warriors' side. As ESPN points out, home teams are 15-3 in Finals Game 7s, and no road team has won a Game 7 since 1978. 

This should be one for the ages, so here's a few quick predictions on the game.

MVP Comes out Firing

Curry is probably going to be all kinds of juiced up for this game. Not only is it Game 7 for the NBA title, but he got kicked out of Game 6 in controversial fashion. Chances are that he's not a happy man.

Plus, James has again looked like the best player on earth. He's certainly been the best player in this series. Expect the reigning two-time MVP to play aggressively and try to drop a 50-spot. If he plays within himself, Curry can certainly dominate this game the way James has in the last two.

Love Takes a Back Seat

Has anyone seen Kevin Love? The supposed third member of the Big Three for the Cavs has been AWOL just about this entire series. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue may look to keep it that way.

In Game 5, Love played 33 minutes and had just two points. In Game 6, Love dealt with some early foul trouble and finished with seven points in 12 minutes. Lue instead elected to go with Richard Jefferson, who played 32 minutes.

Love hasn't been contributing, and yet, the Cavs have been winning. If Love is ineffective early in Game 7, then Lue could give him the hook again and go with the players who got him here.

And the Winner Is...

The way James has been playing, it's hard to pick against him. But what is the rest of his team going to do? Will Irving and Thompson shy away from the moment? Which Smith will show up? Does James even have enough left in the tank after the last two games?

There's a lot of question marks for the Cavs. Meanwhile, the Warriors will be home and have an enraged two-time MVP. If Curry is on early, then he may well be in heat mode for the entire game. Give the Cavs credit for a gutsy comeback, but the resurgence ends Sunday.

Final score: Warriors win 110-101