NBA Playoffs: Thunder, Celtics, Cavs Lead Championship Odds

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00:00Really for the last three months or so of this NBA campaign, there's been a consistent theme.

00:07A tier of three, two teams out east, one team from the Western Conference, and then everybody else.

00:13The Oklahoma City Thunder, a minus 180 favorite to win the Western Conference,

00:18are a plus 150 favorite to win the NBA championship.

00:22Now a half dollar in front of the Celtics in the Cavaliers, the one seed out east,

00:27the only team in three digits, but with a five-to-one price or shorter.

00:33Let me ask you the question first, Fonseca, this way.

00:36Will our NBA champion this year come from those three teams with a five-to-one price or better,

00:43Thunder, Celtics, or Cavs?

00:47Now it's hard to say no, and I think Cleveland is the one that I'm intrigued by the most,

00:51because if you're giving me plus 490 on a team that right now,

00:55so if I'm looking ahead, one, Cleveland has already taken care of business.

00:59Shout out to both one seeds, honestly, for not messing around a ton and just really putting away

01:04of the Memphis Grizzlies and the Miami Heat.

01:06The Memphis Grizzlies, obviously, better, but Cleveland took care of business regardless.

01:10And without Darius Garland, but he's going to be back.

01:14It feels like if Cleveland was in a more dire situation, Darius Garland just might be playing,

01:18but they didn't need him to close us out.

01:21And then when you look at just the rest of the Eastern Conference,

01:25we know how the Knicks match up against them, and the Knicks probably aren't going to get there anyway

01:29because of Boston.

01:30And with Boston in particular, they have, like, Jalen Brown's had some knee issues

01:36that are worth monitoring.

01:38Jason Tatum's had the wrist, and Chris Stapsporzingas is Chris Stapsporzingas.

01:42He can get hurt at any time, unfortunately, and that's just part of the KP experience.

01:46So as it pertains to Cleveland, I think, one, Cleveland has matched up well with Boston

01:51during the regular season.

01:52Not that that always matters as it pertains to the playoffs, but it's not nothing.

01:56And Boston may not be as healthy, assuming Darius Garland is back and ready to go.

02:02Cleveland is also deeper.

02:04I think Cleveland can absolutely win that series.

02:06They're going to have home court.

02:07I think home court's going to matter more for them than it is for Boston

02:10because Boston has won a ton of playoff road games, has a lot of playoff road experience.

02:14Cleveland hasn't, but I think Cleveland's legit.

02:17I've been saying it all year.

02:18I took them all over in the win total.

02:20I took alts.

02:22I thought that they could be a 60-win team, and they were better than that.

02:25I think they're legitimate, and I think they can beat Boston.

02:27And if I think they can beat Boston, that means I think they can get to the finals,

02:31and that means I think they can win the championship.

02:33So I think they're worth a shot at plus 490.