The Cleveland Cavaliers settled in as a solid team under J.B. Bickerstaff, winning 51 games in 2024 and earning home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs two years in a row. However, the team took the next step when Kenny Atkinson was brought in last season.
In Atkinson’s first season, the Cavaliers won 64 games, which was the best mark in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, they bowed out in the second round of the playoffs, losing to the Indiana Pacers.
The goal this year is playoff success. They acquired Lonzo Ball to help with that goal. What do oddsmakers think of the Cleveland Cavaliers entering the regular season?
Cavaliers NBA Championship odds
Entering the season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are among the favorites to win the NBA Title at all of the top Ohio sportsbooks.
FanDuel Sportsbook is most bullish on the Cavaliers’ chances, making them the No. 2 favorite behind only Oklahoma City. If you’re looking to bet on the Cavs, the best odds available are currently at Caesars Sportsbook.
Cleveland is the betting favorite to win the Eastern Conference across the futures market. Odds range from +210 at FanDuel to +230 at Caesars.
Not only did the Cavaliers finish with the most wins in the conference last season, but their top competition is going to be shorthanded this season. Boston will be without Jayson Tatum while Indiana will be without Tyrese Haliburton for the entire season after both stars tore their Achilles tendons in the playoffs.
The biggest threats to the Cavaliers in the East are expected to be the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic. This makes the Cavs a great bet to come out of the East.
In the NBA finals, Cleveland would likely be an underdog, especially if Denver or Oklahoma City comes out of the West. With that being said, a lot can change between now and late May.
Regular season odds
Before we can worry about the NBA Championship, we have to get through the grind of an 82-game regular season.
The Cavaliers are expected to dominate, and you can bet on that domination in a few different ways.
You can bet on Cleveland to be the No. 1 seed in the East at the end of the season. Those odds range from -110 at BetMGM Sportsbook to +105 at FanDuel.
The Cavaliers are massive favorites to win the Central Division. Those odds range from -370 at FanDuel to -475 at DraftKings Sportsbook. Their biggest competition is expected to be Detroit, which is available in the +650 range to win the division.
Most sportsbooks have the over/under on wins for Cleveland set at 56.5 wins. This allows them to lose seven games more than they lost last season and still cash the over.
Player awards
Despite being a top contender, there aren’t many Cavaliers who are preseason favorites to win individual awards.
For example, Donovan Mitchell is available at 100-to-1 to win the NBA MVP award. That’s an insane price for the best player on an elite team, but he isn’t likely to wow enough people.
Evan Mobley has the fourth-best odds to win Defensive Player of the Year at BetMGM with +1400 odds. Victor Wembanyama is a -175 favorite.
One interesting market available is the NBA Finals MVP market. Mitchell has the third-best odds for that market at +1000, but there’s a lot that has to go right. Granted, if Cleveland is in the finals, Mitchell’s odds to win MVP would be a lot less than 10-to-1.
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