Down 3-0, Cavaliers face 40-1 odds to win NBA Finals
Las Vegas oddsmakers aren't ready to wave the white flag on the Cleveland Cavaliers just yet.
Despite trailing 3-0 in their best-of-seven series with the Golden State Warriors, the reigning NBA champions still have respectable 40-1 odds to make the monumental comeback and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy once again.
| Result | Odds |
|---|---|
| Cavaliers in 7 | 40-1 |
| - | - |
| Warriors in 4 | 5-12 |
| Warriors in 5 | 9-5 |
| Warriors in 6 | 25-1 |
| Warriors in 7 | 35-1 |
(courtesy: Westgate Las Vegas Superbook)
Cleveland became the first team ever to overcome a 3-1 deficit in The Finals last year in defeating the Warriors.
Nine teams have forced a Game 6 after trailing 3-0 in a playoff series, with three of those teams then forcing a Game 7. What they all have in common, though, is that none wound up winning in the end, as teams down 3-0 have a combined record of 0-126 in a series.
Golden State is also in the midst of a 15-game postseason winning streak, which is the longest ever in any North American professional sports league.
J.R. Smith may not have sent out his now infamous tweet saying the Cavaliers will capture the championship in seven games (although he did agree with it), but with 40-1 odds, he may be inclined to put down a dollar or two.