- Close
ESPN Staff Writer- Dave Tuley has covered the Las Vegas race and sports book scene since 1998 and runs his own website, ViewFromVegas.com.
LAS VEGAS -- The Cleveland Cavaliers clawed their way back into the NBA Finals at 2-1, but then the Golden State Warriors won Friday to go up 3-1 and get within a game of clinching their second straight title.
Here at ESPN Chalk, we're just as concerned with the betting results of the games, and the Warriors' 108-97 victory in Game 4 at Cleveland was the first game in the series won by the road team and underdog, as home teams and favorites are still 3-1 straight up and against the spread. The game stayed just under the total of 207 points thanks to the Cavaliers dribbling out their last possession. Unders are also 3-1 in the series.
For Monday's Game 5 back in Oakland, the Warriors opened as 7.5-point home favorites at some big offshore books and the early money pushed the line to 8, which is the line at which most Las Vegas books opened. However, on Saturday the line got bet back down to 7.5 and was at 7 at most Vegas books on Sunday morning as speculation grew that Draymond Green could be suspended for Game 5. The Westgate Las Vegas and Pinnacle offshore book led the move to 6.5 before Green's suspension was announced and the line dropped to Warriors -6 as of this writing. The over/under, which opened at 206.5 at most books, is down to 205.
My ESPN Chalk colleague Erin Rynning and I were both on the Warriors in Game 4 and I also hit my lean on the under (after sweating out the end of the game).
Here's our takes for Monday night's Game 5 (9 p.m. ET on ABC):
