Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors 5/31/18, Prediction & Odds

Cavaliers vs. Warriors Prediction

Both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors climbed back from 3-2 series deficits in the conference finals to advance to the NBA Finals, where they meet for a fourth consecutive year. As a big home favorite in Game 1, will Golden State take the first step toward winning a third title in four seasons?

Game Snapshot

501 Cleveland Cavaliers at 502 Golden State Warriors

Thursday, May 31, 2018

Oracle Arena at 9PM ET

TV: ABC

Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our new Basketball Odds & Betting Page.

 

Public Betting Information

According to oddsmakers, the Warriors are listed as a 13-point favorite on the spread line. The over-under is set at 214.5 points. As of Thursday morning, 51 percent of public bets are being placed on visiting Cleveland. Check out our NBA Public Betting Page for up-to-date information.

Cavs strong in fourth to close out Game 7

LeBron James will be playing in the NBA Finals for an eighth straight year, but this was one of his toughest journeys to get there and he even admitted yesterday that there were times he wasn't even sure if this Cleveland team would make the postseason. Now the Cavaliers will be playing a familiar nemesis for the NBA championship, with much of the heavy lifting to get here done by James. He poured in 35 points to go with 15 rebounds and nine assists in the Game 7 87-79 victory at Boston. Cleveland outscored the hosts 28-23 in the fourth quarter. James shot 12-of-24 from the floor, made three 3-pointers and went 8-of-11 at the charity stripe. Jeff Green contributed 19 points and eight rebounds, while J.R. Smith scored 12. Tristan Thompson added 10 points and nin boards. Kevin Love did not play in Game 7 due to a brain injury and his status for today is questionable after going through the league's concussion protocol.

Warriors too much to handle for Houston

The Houston Rockets gave everything they had in taking big first half leads in Game 6 and Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, but the absence of point guard Chris Paul combined with the star power of Golden State eventually tilted both contests heavily in the Warriors' direction. After winning Game 6 115-86 and outscoring visiting Houston by a ridiculous 64-25 in the second half, Golden State traveled for Game 7 and again used a big second half to finish the job. The Rockets led 54-43 at halftime, but proceeded to be outscored by the Warriors 58-38 in the second half. Steph Curry almost notched a triple-double with 27 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Kevin Durant had a game-best 34 points and five caroms. Klay Thompson put in 19 points. Draymond Green added 10 points, 13 boards and five assists.

NBA Betting Trends

Cleveland

The over is 4-0 in the last four Cavaliers NBA Championship games. Cleveland is 1-4 ATS in its last five meetings in Golden State.

Golden State

The Warriors are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings overall. The under is 8-2-2 in the last 12 meetings at Golden State.

Prediction:

It's easy to pick the Warriors straight up, but the 13 points on the spread definitely makes you think a lot. It seems as though oddsmakers believe Love will still be out. If he is, I can't see James having enough help to stay in Game 1. When focused, the Warriors are good enough to cripple any opponent. I think this game has blowout written all over it as long as Golden State keeps James from completely dominating, which is much easier said than done.

NBA DAILY PREDICTION: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS -13

Need More winners against the spread? Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. Instant Access here.