NBA Conference Finals Odds: Raptors Massive Underdogs Vs. Cavs In East

Just four teams remain alive in the 2016 NBA playoffs, and the oddsmakers aren’t giving one of those teams much of a shot.

The NBA’s semifinals begin this week, with the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder starting the Western Conference finals on Monday and the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors kicking off the Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday.

Golden State is the reigning NBA champion and is fresh off the best regular season in NBA history but only is a -600 favorite (1-6 odds) in its series against Oklahoma City, according to Bovada. Cleveland, meanwhile, finished just one game ahead of Toronto in the NBA regular season standings but is a huge -1200 favorite (1-12 odds) in its series.

The Raptors are the biggest long shot to win it all at distant 33-1 odds. The Warriors still are the title favorites at 5-8 odds, followed closely by the Cavs at 9-4 and the Thunder at 6-1.

Why the big discrepancy between Cleveland and Toronto? For one, the Cavs will have the benefit of extra rest, as they concluded their second-round sweep of the Atlanta Hawks on May 8, while the Raptors needed Sunday’s Game 7 to dispatch the Miami Heat.

LeBron James and Co. also appear to be gelling at the right time. Cleveland has won eight consecutive playoff games, four by 10 points or more, and both James and point guard Kyrie Irving are averaging over 20 points per game. The Raptors will have their work cut out for them in their first-ever conference finals appearance, as they scored more than 100 points just once in their seven-game series with the Heat.

Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images