No one really knew what to expect when LeBron James welcomed his new plethora of teammates on the court against the Boston Celtics on Sunday. When the clock struck zero in the fourth quarter in Boston, everything seemed different for the Cavaliers.
Cleveland absolutely dominated the best team in the Eastern Conference by the score of 121-99. New additions Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., George Hill and Rodney Hood combined for 49 points on better than 50 percent from the field. They were all extraordinary in their Cavs debuts.
While this is still just one game, those in Las Vegas have taken note. In fact, the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook has dramatically changed Cleveland’s odds of winning the NBA title based on this one performance. According to them, the Cavaliers now boast 8-to-1 odds after opening Sunday with 12-to-1 odds. Meanwhile, Boston has moved to 20-to-1 after opening Sunday with 14-to-1 odds.
Don't overreact to one game? Tell that to Vegas.
The Cavs were 12-1 to win the NBA Championship before today's win. They are now 8-1 per Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. pic.twitter.com/v2aUv9q5yJ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) February 12, 2018
That’s all sorts of crazy. It’s also a bit of overreaction from Vegas. We have no idea how these new pieces are going to mesh moving forward. One game, no matter the opponent, shouldn’t change the dynamic all that much back east.
Only time will tell here. But it’s readily apparent that Vegas likes what it sees from these new-look Cavs.