Today’s Best Bets
Sam Choudhury
Ohio residents can start making legal bets on the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023. Online sports betting is finally coming to Ohio in the new year, and it couldn’t be happening at a better time for basketball fans.
The Cavaliers have been one of the NBA’s best teams, and Caesars Sportsbook is making it easy for gamblers to place wagers on Cleveland sports. Let’s take a look at the Cavaliers and examine their latest betting odds.
How to Bet on the Cleveland Cavaliers with Caesars Sportsbook
Cleveland Cavaliers Central Division Odds
The Cavaliers are underdogs in what appears to be a two-team race for the Central Division title. The Milwaukee Bucks are -525 favorites at Caesars to win their fifth straight division title. Cleveland has +300 odds to finish in first place. Even without a division championship, the Cavaliers are considered to be locks for the postseason. Cleveland has -3500 odds to make the playoffs and an over/under win total of 50.5.
Cleveland Cavaliers Eastern Conference Odds
Cleveland is a legitimate threat to win the East with +900 odds at Caesars. Only three teams are given a better chance than the Cavaliers to represent the conference in the NBA Finals. LeBron James used to virtually guarantee Cleveland a spot in the NBA Finals, leading the Cavaliers to a conference title in all four seasons during his second stint with the team. Cleveland is on track to host a first-round playoff series and could be favored to make the conference semifinals.
Cleveland Cavaliers NBA Finals Odds
The addition of Donovan Mitchell has made the Cavaliers go from a borderline playoff team to a borderline championship contender. Cleveland has +2000 odds to win the 2023 NBA Finals. The Cavs rank 10th in the league, sandwiched in between the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. Cleveland might be a year away from making a serious title push, given that it hasn’t even been to the playoffs in five seasons.
Cleveland Cavaliers Player Awards
Mitchell has +3000 odds to win the NBA MVP award. The guard is having a career year, averaging close to 30 points per game while making half of his field goal attempts and shooting well north of 40% from three-point range. Evan Mobley is Cleveland’s most likely award winner. Mobley is a top-five Defensive Player of the Year candidate with +1000 odds for the award. The second-year big man is the anchor for Cleveland’s No. 1 rated defense.
Cleveland Cavaliers Betting History
Most of the Cavaliers’ success in franchise history has been tied to LeBron James. Cleveland had never won the East until James and the Cavs were swept in the 2007 NBA Finals. Cleveland overcame a 3-1 series deficit to win its only championship in 2016 during four straight appearances in the NBA Finals. The Cavs haven’t made the playoffs since James left in the summer of 2018. Cleveland made one conference finals appearance before James was drafted in 2003. The Cavaliers were eliminated from last year’s play-in tournament with a 44-38 record, their best mark without James on the roster since 1998.