The 2015-16 NBA season has reached its pinnacle as the NBA Finals will start on Friday and it will be a rematch of last year with the Golden State Warriors taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Continue reading for our NBA Finals Preview and Betting Tips.
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2016 NBA Finals Betting Tips
Golden State Warriors (1 West) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (1 East)
This highly anticipated Finals rematch has been predicted to happen since the Cavaliers fell to the Warriors last season in six games. Since then the Warriors defeated the Cavaliers in both regular season games including a 40-point dismantling on the Cavs home court. Stephen Curry won his second straight MVP award as he is now considered to be the best player in the world, which would leave a bitter taste in the mouth of Lebron James.
The Cavaliers reached the Finals with relative ease as they were only tested in the Eastern Conference finals after sweeping the Pistons and Hawks in the earlier rounds. The Cavs never trailed against the Raptors and they were able to book their spot in the Finals by earning a convincing victory in Toronto. The Cavs three-point shooting has been exceptional and if they can continue to knock down open shots then they could cause an upset in this series, as it will open up the lane for James and also one of the best drivers in the game Kyrie Irving. Last year the Cavs lost in sex games to the Warriors and they relied heavily on James as Love and Irving, their next two best players were sidelined through injury. James took his game to another level and was averaging almost a triple double whilst still scoring over 30-points. The workload won’t be as high for the former MVP, which could allow for him to be more destructive down the stretch. Meanwhile the Warriors defence will have to account for the other star players as opposed to solely attempting to shut down James.
The Cavs may have more attacking weapons this time around but Love and Irving are often criticised for their defence and they will need to be at their best if they are to slow down the Warriors that have shown they can defeat a team in a short period of time by going on a quick 15-20 point run.
The Warriors reached the Western Conference finals in comfortable fashion considering they were without their best player Curry for the majority of their first two series. It gives credit to their depth, as they were still able to be dominant without their MVP. However, their backs were against the Wall in the Conference finals as they were trailing 3-1 and their 73-9 regular season record seemed to be for nothing, as they would have to win three straight games against the Thunder and become only the 10th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit to advance to the Finals. On the back of improved performances from their three key players Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, the Warriors were able to advance to the Finals and seal the rematch with the Cavaliers.
This is Lebron James’s sixth consecutive Finals appearance and his seventh overall. However, his Finals record is only two wins for four losses and we are predicting that he and Cleveland will have to wait longer to celebrate. The Warriors have the home court advantage, which proved to be the sealer for them in the Thunder series. The Cavaliers will be well rested but they could come out rusty against Golden State. With the Warriors having overcame the impossible against the Thunder, they will have a new lease on life and be too strong for the Cavs but we are predicting this series to go the distance.
TIP: Warriors 4-3 @ $4.00 with William Hill
2016 Finals MVP Betting Tips
As we are predicting the Warriors to win, we will be backing the Finals MVP to be on the Golden State team. Last year it was Andre Iguodala who was awarded with the trophy after his defensive job on Lebron James. However, this year there will be a lot more attacking weapons that need to be closely guarded. Klay Thompson is a terrific defender whilst he is also a massive threat for the opposition as he is a three point sniper but can drive to the basket. In game 6 of the Western Conference Finals, Thompson set a new Playoff record by hitting 11 three pointers and he also has the highest scoring quarter recorded in NBA history. He has the ability to get hot and punish the opposition and if he can pull off similar numbers whilst being strong on the defensive end we think he is great value for the Finals MVP for 2016.
TIP: Finals MVP Klay Thompson @ $8.00 with Sportsbet
2016 NBA Finals Game 1 Betting Tips
The Warriors lost their opening match of the series against the Thunder on home court and we are predicting them to come out of the blocks firing in this series to ensure they don't give up home court advantage again. The Warriors have the ability to drop a huge amount of points in a short period of time with their up tempo play and their sharp shooting from behind the line. Meanwhile the Cavaliers could be a bit rusty after a couple of weeks rest. They will easily clear the line in this contest as the first game will be a blow out.
TIP: Warriors -5.5 @ $1.91 with Sportsbet
