NBA Finals 2018: Championship Odds and Predictions for Remaining Teams
The chase for a title comes down to four teams. Two hope to make fourth consecutive trips to the NBA Finals. One underdog continues it's admirable run. A new backcourt duo looks to dethrone the champions.
What's the fate of each remaining team?
The Cleveland Cavaliers reworked the roster throughout the year around LeBron James. The makeshift group gained a confidence boost after sweeping the No. 1-seeded Toronto Raptors. How far does this unit reach with their superstar leading the way?
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens has pushed all the right postseason buttons with the guys available to play. Will the absence of his star players finally factor into the series outcome against the Cavaliers?
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey acquired Chris Paul in an effort to put an end to the Golden State Warriors' dominance in the Western Conference. Do James Harden, Paul and a plethora of three-point shooters have enough to stop a developing dynasty in the Bay Area?
Odds to Win 2017-18 NBA Championship
Golden State Warriors: -150
Houston Rockets: +240
Cleveland Cavaliers: +550
Boston Celtics: +1,600
Odds according to OddsShark.
Boston Celtics
Don't hop on the Celtics bandwagon now. Guard Terry Rozier prefers the underdog role as his team continues to shock doubters:
Rozier doesn't have to worry about the Celtics coming into the conference finals as a home-court favorite over the Cavaliers. Typically, the squad with the best player takes a betting edge as shown with odds above.
However, it's fair to say Boston will put up a fight to the bitter end. This set ends in seven contests, with both teams winning their home games until the final outing.
Boston's defense should prolong the series, but James flexes his muscle at TD Garden to give the Celtics their first home loss of the postseason.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Raptors shouldn't feel discouraged about their shortcomings against James. Over the past seven years, he's crushed the Celtics' title runs as well:
Rozier has earned a cool nickname, Scary Terry. Boston's young wing players will contribute to a perennial contender in the near future, but it's still James' conference. He will take down the Celtics for the fifth time in the postseason.
However, it stops at Eastern Conference champions for the Cavaliers. Cleveland took one game against the Warriors on an extraordinary shooting night in last year's NBA Finals.
James will meet Golden State again without Kyrie Irving and a less cohesive unit, which came together after the trade deadline in February. The Warriors will sweep the Cavaliers in June.
Houston Rockets
For whatever reason, Paul struggled with the ball in his possession during the opening contests of the previous two series. He's accumulated 13 turnovers combined in those games.
If Paul doesn't bring his A-game Monday, the Rockets will fall into an early hole that means more than just a loss. Golden State hasn't tasted defeat in a home playoff contest since Game 7 against Cleveland during the 2015-16 NBA Finals, per ESPN Stats & Info:
If the Rockets hold steady at Toyota Center, there's no need for a win at Oracle Arena. There's one issue. The Warriors haven't lost consecutive games since dropping three straight to cede the title to the Cavaliers two years ago.
In other words, Houston has to break a two-year streak in order to advance to the NBA Finals. The Rockets have looked solid during the postseason but not good enough to string together consecutive victories against the champs or beat them at home.
Golden State Warriors
The defending champions have lost two games during the playoffs—one without Stephen Curry. Nonetheless, it's a team that doesn't look unbeatable, as it did in the previous year. Houston's offense will have moments as the superior unit on the floor.
The Rockets' three-point shooting should match the Warriors' offensive onslaught in stretches. However, head coach Steve Kerr has harped on defensive intensity throughout the postseason, per NBCS Bay Area reporter Drew Shiller.
"I had some concerns, but I think our guys did a great job right away in the [San Antonio] Spurs series of re-establishing our defense and getting us back on track," Kerr said.
The Warriors can score 110 on a mediocre night, but the effort on the defensive end should result in some blowout games en route to back-to-back title runs.
Houston will keep the scores close in a hard-fought six-game series, but the Warriors should dominate during the NBA Finals, whether it's a familiar foe in Cleveland or the underdog in Boston. Neither team will score enough to keep pace. Once their defense kicks into gear, there's no stopping the Warriors.
