Bovada installs San Antonio Spurs as favorites over Miami Heat in 2014 NBA Finals
By Brad Rowland
With the NBA Finals set to begin on Thursday, pundits are beginning to weigh in on who they predict to win the series between the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Heat. Earlier in the day on Monday, we brought you a full preview of the series, but in addition to that, the oddsmakers both off-shore and in Las Vegas have begun to set lines on the outcome. Bovada, a leader in the off-shore world online, has installed the Spurs as a slight favorite to overtake the Heat.
In the grand scheme, this is about as close as a wagering line would be, and that indicates the general perception that these two teams are incredibly even. The Heat enter as the two-time defending NBA champions, but they haven’t navigated quite the same gauntlet that San Antonio was charged with conquering, and the Spurs have been more impressive at times, in addition to posting a superior regular season mark.
Still, the general existence of LeBron James casts a shadow over everything in the NBA, and especially in this series. It will be incredibly intriguing to see which way the public sides in this series, as the Spurs have long been considered to be a team that the casual fan doesn’t enjoy, while the Heat were once cast as villains in the wake of “The Decision”.
Regardless, this should be a highly competitive and entertaining series, and the wagering public is certainly tuned in to the proceedings.