Odds Makers: Spurs Favorites/Heat Underdogs

[TheReal Kendall]

Heat are underdogs because the East is booty basically.

[Droid101]

Despite this overwhelming evidence, the Heat are only slight underdogs to win the series in Las Vegas. The most common line suggests the Spurs have a 57 percent chance to win. In part, the discrepancy can be traced to the popularity of Miami, as two-time defending champion. But it also surely reflects a belief we still haven't seen the best of the Heat, given Miami's tendency to play better when behind in series and in fourth quarters.

That might prove the case, because the Heat haven't yet been seriously challenged in the playoffs. But they'll have to raise their level considerably to match the way San Antonio is playing. Six times this postseason, the Spurs have beaten opponents by 20 points more than an average team in the same situation. Miami has done that only once -- the closeout Game 6 against Indiana.

If the Heat are to win their third consecutive championship, it will mean defying three decades' worth of Finals trends.


http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...win-nba-finals

[Solefade]

Despite this overwhelming evidence, the Heat are only slight underdogs to win the series in Las Vegas. The most common line suggests the Spurs have a 57 percent chance to win. In part, the discrepancy can be traced to the popularity of Miami, as two-time defending champion. But it also surely reflects a belief we still haven't seen the best of the Heat, given Miami's tendency to play better when behind in series and in fourth quarters.

That might prove the case, because the Heat haven't yet been seriously challenged in the playoffs. But they'll have to raise their level considerably to match the way San Antonio is playing. Six times this postseason, the Spurs have beaten opponents by 20 points more than an average team in the same situation. Miami has done that only once -- the closeout Game 6 against Indiana.

If the Heat are to win their third consecutive championship, it will mean defying three decades' worth of Finals trends.


http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story...win-nba-finals

the reason why san antonio has been blowing out teams and has such a big pt differential in their wins is because of the popovic vs stotts and brooks match up...

that certainly wasn't the case for carlisle who's probably on popovic's level with a way less talented team

[ArbitraryWater]

So both Thunder in 2012 and Spurs in 2014 were/are Favorites, yet LeBron crushed/crushes them AS UNDERDOG?!

[ArbitraryWater]

MJ won chips as underdog: '91, '93, '98

Nah they weren't in 1991... Game 1 doesn't even change anything as it's too late.

[BoutPractice]

Oddmakers have it just about right.

There was an article that gave the Spurs a 88% chance of winning, but if you factor in that the Heat probably underperformed against relatively weak competition, saving themselves for this moment, Tony Parker's status, and the superstar factor, I'd lower their chances to around 55-60%.

[I<3NBA]

Well can someone post that insider article?

[ArbitraryWater]

Well can someone post that insider article?

What I thought

[Keno]

2 rings as the underdog while kobe has 0. another reason why he will be better.