It’s hard to argue that any NBA team has exceeded expectations to the extent the Cleveland Cavaliers have this year. The Eastern Conference leaders opened the year as longshots to win the 2025 NBA Finals but boast the league’s best record as the end of February nears its end. The Cavs have watched their championship odds shorten significantly (to +225) since the start of their campaign and there’s still a ton of value in betting on them despite their consistency.
Cleveland opened the year with +5000 odds to win the NBA Finals at BetMGM. Thirteen teams had better odds before the first game of 2024-25 tipped off. Among them were the Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs, and Phoenix Suns teams that are now fighting for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. The Cavs have continued to climb thanks to their consistent play and success on both sides of the ball.
Cleveland opened up the year with a franchise-record 15 consecutive wins before falling short to the odds-on favorite Boston Celtics (+210). They enjoyed a 12-game winning streak between December and January. The Cavaliers’ dynamic scoring offense has been their greatest strength, as only Memphis Grizzlies can top their impressive average of 122.9 points per game. Then there’s the top-10 defense that gives up 111.2 points per game. It’s only gotten better since adding former Hawks wing De’Andre Hunter via trade. Cleveland has only allowed 103.7 points per contest through six games with Hunter despite facing a pair of top-five offenses.
The Cavaliers hold a strong six-game lead over the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings and are on their way to an easier playoff path as the first seed. Bettors who believe Cleveland will at least make the Eastern Conference finals should place a wager on the Cavs now, as they’ll most likely have home-court advantage against the Celtics with an opportunity to take the lead in a playoff series. Cleveland is 24-7 at Rocket arena and 1-0 against Boston there.
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