The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They have won 12 of their last 13 games, but how they are winning should excite fans. The defense has been this team’s calling card for the past four weeks. In the last 13 games, they have held their opponents to under 100 points, which is rare in today’s NBA. Cleveland has vaulted up the standings and is within striking distance of the number two seed, the Milwaukee Bucks. However, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, their NBA Finals odds still have them as a long shot.
Cleveland Cavaliers Current NBA Finals Odds
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently +4200 to win the championship. This puts them solidly behind eleven teams and tied with the Dallas Mavericks. It is the teams in front of them where the disrespect happens.
- Los Angeles Lakers +3300
- Miami Heat +3400
- Philadelphia 76ers +1700
- Milwaukee Bucks +550
The other teams with better odds make sense, but these four are the ones I find the biggest disrespect.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers
What have the Lakers shown this season to make anyone think they could win the NBA Finals? Yes, the team has LeBron James, but they currently sit at .500 and ninth in the West. While they could still make a trade to improve the roster, this seems far-fetched.
For the Lakers to win the NBA Finals, they must get through a gauntlet in the Western Conference, especially if they must get out of the play-in tournament. The Cleveland Cavaliers path in the East is much easier. They will likely get a top-six seed and even have the potential to nab home-court advantage for at least one round. The path is easier. I could see these teams having similar odds, but the gap seems disrespectful.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. The East
I expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to surpass the Miami Heat in the odds very soon. The Heat are 3-7 in the last ten games and are trending in the wrong direction. Offensively, the team has some major deficiencies. Jimmy Butler is an elite scorer, but this team is in trouble if he doesn’t have it one night.
The gap between the Bucks and the 76ers is downright disrespectful. The Cleveland Cavaliers are one game back from the Bucks, who own the number two seed. If the team can keep the arrow pointing up, they could easily get the second overall seed. It seems unlikely anyone is able to catch Boston, but in this league, you never know.
How They Are Winning Matters
The Cleveland Cavaliers are winning because of defense. In the playoffs, defense tends to travel well. There is a reason the old adage of “defense wins championships” continues to be true. When the playoffs start, refs tend to let teams play more aggressive defensively.
Cleveland has also been able to make this push without some of their best players. Evan Mobley just returned from his injury and is on a minutes restriction for the time being. Darius Garland also recently returned and is working his way back into the lineup. Donovan Mitchell can score in bunches, and quality role players are all over the roster.
Remaining Schedule
The Cleveland Cavaliers have 11 games against the current bottom four in each conference. They will also have plenty of opportunities for head-to-head matchups against the Heat and 76ers. They could still get the second seed if the Cavaliers do not continue at this red-hot pace. Their odds of winning the NBA Finals should skyrocket if they can do that.
Full disclosure: I started this article a few days ago and couldn’t finish it. When I started, they were at +6000 and have dropped to +4200. Get in on these odds before they drop anymore.
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Matt has been following sports since he was a kid. While football is his primary focus, Matt can talk about any sport anytime. He is a banker in Wisconsin and hosts two podcasts, Beers and Ears & Discontinued on Display.
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