Golden State Currently 1.25 To Win NBA Finals

Published on June 12th, 2015 9:47 pm EST
Did the Cleveland Cavaliers finally run out of steam in Game 4 of the NBA Finals? Did the Golden State Warriors finally find a way to slow down LeBron James and expose Cleveland's lack of depth?

According to the bookmakers, the Golden State Warriors are 1.25 favorites to win the NBA Finals following their decisive Game 4 victory. This means that, according to the bookmakers, the Golden State Warriors have a 80% chance of winning the title.

The Cleveland Cavaliers, on the other hand, are listed at 4.00 to win. The implied odds of the Cavaliers winning the title are just 25%.

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The first three games of the NBA Finals were extremely close - the first two games went to overtime (the teams won a game each), while Game 3 was made close by a frantic 4th quarter rally by the Warriors.

Game 4, however, was a completely different story, as the Golden State Warriors dominated from start to finish. LeBron James was neutralized and the Cavs' lack of depth was put on full display as the Warriors "went small" and worked over their opponents. The Cavaliers, who have been decimated by injuries, simply didn't have the answers.

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LeBron James is clearly the best player in the NBA, but even he has his limits. After carrying the Cavaliers on his back through the first three games of the series, LeBron seemed to tire in Game 4. It seems unreasonable to think that LeBron can score 40+ points a game EVERY GAME against one of the ten best teams in NBA history, and we saw what happens when he doesn't in Game 4.

Will the Cavaliers go to their bench more in Game 4? Will James and company be able to play another extremely taxing 48 minutes of basketball against Golden State's dynamic offense?

The bookmakers think that Cleveland is all but done. The odds of Cleveland winning a 2 out of 3 series against the NBA's best team, with two of those games on the road, seem long, especially given the injury woes that the Cavaliers are dealing with.

Can LeBron do it again or has the magic finally run out?