NBA Finals 2017 Predictions: Expert Picks For Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Stephen Curry Warriors — Stephen Curry, pictured celebrating after Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals at AT&T Center on May 22, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas, is being predicted by most experts to do the same after the 2017 NBA Finals. Getty Images

The 2017 NBA Finals is the rubber match between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors, but it’s hard to tell that LeBron James and Co. were victorious last season when looking at the expert predictions. Just about everyone seems to be picking Golden State to defeat Cleveland for the second time in three seasons.

It isn’t just that most predictions have the Warriors winning—plenty of basketball analysts are picking Golden State to cruise past Cleveland.

READ: Ranking The Golden State Warriors' Top Four Players

“I don't think the Warriors will be challenged," former head coach and current ABC analyst Jeff Van Gundy told the San Francisco Chronicle. “I think they'll be in the same situation as last year, up 3-1 coming home. In my time in the NBA, this is the biggest talent differential between the best team and the second-best team. No disrespect to Cleveland, but I just think the Warriors are at a different level.”

Cleveland became the first team to ever come back from a 3-1 NBA Finals deficit last year, winning Game 7 at Golden State.

Van Gundy certainly isn’t alone in his thinking. The most popular prediction appears to be a win for the Warriors in either five or six games. Because Golden State has home-court advantage, they could close out the series in Game 5 at Oracle Arena. The Warriors ended the 2015 NBA Finals in Game 6 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, though the Cavs were without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love for most of that series.

The few experts that are predicting the Cavs to win the series are doing so in six or seven games. Good luck finding anyone who thinks Cleveland will clinch the title in five games or fewer.

FiveThirtyEight’s prediction model gives the Cavs a 17 percent chance to win Game 1 and just a 10 percent chance to win the series. Before the playoffs began, the model also gave the Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards a better chance than Cleveland to win the title.

Golden State is the heavy betting favorite at both online and Las Vegas sportsbooks. Cleveland opened as a +220 underdog, though their odds have improved to +200.

The Cavs were nearly unbeatable in the Eastern Conference playoffs, going 12-1 against the Celtics, Raptors and Indiana Pacers. Golden State became the first team to ever enter the NBA Finals with a 12-0 postseason record, and they’ve won 27 of their last 28 games, dating back to the regular season.

CBS Sports

Bill Reiter: Warriors in seven

Ethan Skolnick: Warriors in seven

James Herbert: Warriors in six

Matt Moore: Warriors in six

Chris Barnewall: Warriors in seven

Jack Maloney: Warriors in five

Brad Botkin: Cavs in seven

Sports Illustrated

Lee Jenkins: Warriors in five

Ben Golliver: Warriors in five

Andrew Sharp: Warriors in five