Game 1 is going to tip off at 9 PM EST, but that doesn't mean that there isn't time for the degenerates of the world to get in their bets for the action.
I already outlined the main odds here, but this isn't the page to look at it for our boring, run of the mill gamblers. We're getting stupid and diving into the best props bets and futures heading into Game 1. Let's find some weird, weird bets (all from Sportsbook.ag, for reference).
Bet 1:
LeBron James to Win Finals MVP (+200)
If you think the Cavaliers are going to win this series, you can bet for them to do so at +180. That's all well and good, but if the Cavaliers win the title, then the odds are overwhelmingly in King James' favor to get the Finals MVP nod. He was the MVP in both title runs he's had, and the narrative pull to give him his third in a situation in which the prodigal son leads Cleveland its first title. Even if Kyrie Irving outscores him in the series, I think the Cavs aren't winning a title unless LeBron takes over. Go ahead and get the extra value, and just bet on 'Bron to win Finals MVP.
Bet 2:
Kevin Love to Score the First FG of the Game (+750)
Warriors to Score First (-115)
Listen, y'all. Kevin Love's fit in this series has been dissected every which way, and the Cavaliers often look to get him started quickly on offense. Whether it's a pick and pop or a post-up, the team will try to get Love in a rhythm as early as possible. This is paying out 7.5 to one, so if you're looking for a home run, this is the play.
Part two of the bet is an old fashioned heeeedge. Thanks to Nylon Calculus' weirdly detailed jump ball statistics, you can find that Andrew Bogut wins about 60 percent of his jumpballs, while Tristan Thompson only wins about 50 percent. There's a real chance the Cavs don't have the first possession of the game, so you can look to at least make your money back on this bet.
Also, I've overthought this total crapshoot of a bet, but the point is to be fun, not to be a smart gambler, so shut up.
Bet 3:
Series after 4 Games: Tied at 2-2 (+180)
Series after 4 Games: Warriors lead 3-1 (+130)
If you think the Warriors are winning the series, these are the bets for you. If you put $10 on each bet, you're likely to make some money here, either making a profit of $8 or $3. It's a low-risk move, unless the Cavaliers go nuts and win three of the first four. If you're a Cavalier believer, stay away.
Bet 4:
Largest Lead of the Game: Under 16.5 points (-120)
This line is pretty huge, but it's not as easy of a win as you might think. The lines were pretty regularly set this big in the Warriors series, but the series was so prone to blowouts and giant runs it went over fairly often. That said, this line is just a little too big, and I expect the Cavaliers to control the pace in this one. Let's get crazy and lock in for a close game.
So, there's four slightly off-the-wall bets to look at if you aren't just looking to bet a money line or a spread. Let's get weird and make really, really irresponsible bets. We can all lose together.