Gamblers Disagree on How NBA Finals Will Begin…But Agree on an Ending

Andy Rooney was waxing Biblical in an essay once (imagine that) when he flashed the kind of humor that drew me as a youngster to his stream-of-consciousness style.

“There shall be a time to reap, and a time to sow,” Rooney began. “There shall be a time to break down and a time to build up.”

“And there shall be a time to play basketball which shall be in the wintertime and there shall be a time to knock it off with basketball which shall be in the springtime and not in the damned summer.”

The old curmudgeon could see the slow transition of major American sports leagues into year-round profit cows. The NBA’s summer schedule of exhibition games will kick-off when the NBA Finals are over, and the current crop of lottery draft picks featuring Zion Williamson will consume airwaves until autumn.

That’s no different than the NFL, though, or European soccer, or any other major brand. Even college basketball begins before the leaves turn in Oklahoma, with “The Get Leis and Tan Classic” in Hawaii and “Michigan 102, Plainfield Teachers College 50” on the scoreboard.

Perhaps the NBA is the smartest of all with its championship timing.

The media has been saturated with huge headlines over the past few weeks, like the Premier League finale, the PGA Championship, and prestigious international tournaments…not to mention a rather controversial Kentucky Derby.

Sure, the Stanley Cup Finals and the Champions League are still going on. But the 2019 NBA Finals are probable to outlast them all, and therefore to dominate buzz on the internet and in North America.

Gamblers seem to think the Golden State Warriors and Toronto Raptors will play each other for longer than a week’s time. Many even believe than a surprise victory is in the cards in Game 1, sending the clubs into a dramatic and emotional 5-7 games.

But few handicappers aren’t also sticking with Stephen Curry and the defending champs when it comes to the eventual series outcome.

Conflicting Sportsbook Odds for Game 1 in Toronto

The betting sites of the World Wide Web appear to agree on 2 things – that the Warriors are favorites to defend the NBA crown and that the Raptors are going to fight tooth-and-nail to win Game 1.

The Toronto Raptors are a razor-thin (-115) favorite on the Sportsbetting.ag moneyline and (-1) on the site’s point spread for Thursday night in Canada.

Bovada Sportsbook is slightly favoring Golden State in Game 1, a notable fact considering that smaller-time sportsbooks often mimic the giant bookmaker, and because Sportsbetting.ag’s action has apparently been more pro-Raptors than Bovada’s. The Raptors are an (Even) underdog for Game 1 at the larger sportsbook.

But at both betting sites, Golden State is a big old (-280) favorite to win the series.

Warriors A to Z – With 2 Letters Removed

Kerr’s team didn’t get by on reputation alone in the first 2 playoff series of 2018-19. But it sure got by with a healthy dose of KD.  Before going down with a calf injury, Durant averaged a playoff league-high 34.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists this postseason.

Someone we’ve heard of has been picking-up the slack. Stephen Curry has averaged 36.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists, producing a clutch triple-double in Game 4 of the Warriors’ breeze over Portland in the Western Conference finals.

With Durant and DeMarcus Cousins missing, no Warrior elevated his performance against the Trail Blazers more than Draymond Green. Green was at his best in a hostile environment, scoring triple-doubles on the road in Games 3 and 4.

The defending champs have been “spreading the wealth” anyway, keeping terrific athletes on the back-burner to accommodate Boogie and other new faces while preserving the option to rely more on the old hometown heroes. Klay Thompson, Green, and Curry served as Kerr’s original triumvirate and could snap into old roles in the Finals until Boogie and KD come back.

It is likely that Cousins will return to the lineup before Durant does, giving the squad scoring touch and numbers on the inside while keeping pressure on the forward position.

People think the Warriors are about the win a long series, but it might be in the club’s best interest to ground the Raptors quickly.

Toronto’s Path to the NBA Finals

Kawhi Leonard was brilliant for Toronto in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, scoring 36 points in a 118-112 2OT victory over the “Greek Freak” and the Milwaukee Bucks. Key contributions from Kyle Lowry, Norman Powell, and Serge Ibaka would soon propel the Raptors to an impressive 18-point win at home to even the series.

Desperate, the Bucks rang up a 15-point lead in Game 6. But Nick Nurse’s team went on an epic 26-3 run that served as the final death blow.

Lo and behold, Leonard had out-dueled the Freak in front of a crushed Milwaukee crowd.

The Raptors won 105-99 and followed up with another impressive game on defense to prevail 100-94 and meet Golden State for all the marbles.

Raptors Can Compete if Leonard Stays Healthy

Leonard has played inspired basketball throughout the postseason, but he has also been hampered by a persistent leg injury…at least according to teammate Denny Green.

The superstar’s career-high 52 minutes in Game 3 against the Bucks certainly did not help matters. The Warriors have already proved this postseason the team is capable of winning without Durant on the court. The same may not be said for the Raptors without Leonard.

Nurse’s adjustments to his team’s offense have made the Raptors more explosive. It will be up to Toronto’s team defense to hold down the Splash Brothers’ shooting % whether or not Boogie Cousins or Kevin Durant becomes a prohibitive threat.

The public believes that while the Warriors’ injuries look worse in the short term, the talents of Durant and Cousins could be getting “saved for later” just as Leonard’s chronic injury swells-up again after playing his guts out above the border.

Nothing in sports ever works out so simple – there shall be a time for common sense! But the coaches are more aware of the injury and fatigue factors as anybody.

In Game 1, Nurse will recognize that his best bet is a crank-up the team’s intensity and tempo and try to get ahead of Golden State while his nucleus is the healthier one.

Bet the Over in Game 1 and expect fireworks on Thursday night.