We really thought we were going to get some variety this year. It’s our sixth year of gathering expert predictions on the NBA Finals and of course that means four of them have been Warriors-Cavaliers.
The other two were Spurs-Heat. Needless to say, Rockets-Celtics would have been more interesting, or at least less familiar. Still, two teams battling in four consecutive championships in any sport should not be sniffed at. Give these men props while they’re living, but leave the legacy lectures for later. (Jordan was 6-0 with six NBA Finals MVPs. Sorry.)
Not one expert we found picked the Cavaliers. Not one contrarian. No devil’s advocate. Just 43 picks for the Warriors. None for Cleveland.
There have been similar spreads in the past, but never a shutout. 43 of 52 NBA experts we found last year picked Golden State, 45 of 53 did in 2016 – when the Cavs won – and 41 of 49 picked the Warriors in 2015.
So that’s 43-9, 45-8, 41-8 and now 43-0. But remember, one time the experts were very, very wrong. (Not us, though. See below.) So we’re saying there’s a chance.
Let’s get to the picks.
Scoreboard Page: The good news is, we’ve picked the winner right in every Warriors-Cavs series. So you can take our Golden State selection to the bank. Whether they win in four or not is probably not as safe a bet, but that won’t stop us from being bold. Warriors in 4.
Here’s how the picks of experts at other media outlets broke down:
CBS Sports: Warriors 8, Cavaliers 0
The Guardian: Warriors 4, Cavaliers 0
ESPN: Warriors 24, Cavaliers 0
Click the links above for their full predictions.