NBA Finals - bettingexpert preview: Warriors and Cavaliers set for vintage basketball duel

Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave in the Outer Hebrides these past two years, you will have heard the name Steph Curry crop up in sporting circles.

The Golden State Warriors guard has transformed the game of basketball with his astonishing shooting that saw his team win the NBA title last year for a fourth time and reach the Finals again this season.

Alongside his Splash Brothers partner in crime Klay Thompson, they have rained down three-pointers on teams the length and breadth of North America from all over the court.

Even though it was Curry’s MVP performances which mostly fuelled their season overall, Thompson stole the spotlight in the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder to propel their sensational comeback from 3-1 down in the best-of-seven series.

The Warriors are not all about those two, though, the relentless drive of Draymond Green at both ends of the hardcourt is crucial to locking down opponent danger men and none come as dangerous as LeBron James.

James had to leave his beloved hometown side Cleveland to get some titles with Miami Heat, however he is back wearing the Cavaliers colours and intent on revenge following last season’s Finals defeat.

The Cavs went down 4-2 this time last year, however they were not playing as well as they have done this season particularly in the playoffs where they blew past the Pistons and Hawks.

Toronto Raptors might have got under their skin a little more in the Eastern Conference Finals, which went six games instead of four, nevertheless the Cavs are made of sterner stuff.

Kevin Love is bang in the zone as the big inside presence alongside Tristan Thompson with both players cleaning up on rebounds, Love’s 17.3 points per game in the playoffs key too.

Outside, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith are hot hands from distance with James’ 24.6 post-season points average nothing to sniff about either when it comes to building a lead.

If you look at the historical bettingexpert stats heading into the NBA Finals, the Cavs also have a few things going their way as they attempt to win their first ever NBA championship.

The Warriors only won three road games in the playoffs compared to Cleveland’s five meaning the Cavs have a 62% chance of taking rings home for their families based on past Finals.

Their greater experience and age could also be a huge factor when it comes down to the crunch.

Golden State, though, are favourites for a reason. They might rely heavily on Curry and Thompson to keep the scoreboard ticking over from beyond the arc, but they have a deep roster too.

Harrison Barnes, Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, Marreese Speights and Andrew Bogut can all chip in with valuable points, assists and rebounds down the stretch to keep the Cavs honest.

Stats wise, amongst other pointers favouring them, in the past two Finals the team who had the best 3-point percentage and most assists during the regular season have emerged as the champion.

Steve Kerr’s team have definitely changed the way basketball is played these past two seasons, nevertheless the Cavs have a savvy coach in Tyronn Lue who has two NBA title rings in his locker to boot.

After the rollercoaster thrill of the Warriors’ 4-3 victory over the Thunder, which could well have been the best chance Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook ever have of winning the title, the Finals promises to be a vintage affair that we could be talking about for decades to come.

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