Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Golden State Warriors: Game 5 Prediction, Betting Odds For 2017 NBA Finals

The Golden State Warriors have been here before. Heading into Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals Monday night, Stephen Curry and Co. have a 3-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers, returning home with a chance to win the title.

A year ago, the Cavs stole Game 5 at Oracle Arena in what was the start of the greatest comeback in league history. LeBron James led the way as Cleveland defied the odds and proved every prediction wrong, defeating what many thought was the best team of all time.

A different set of circumstances surrounds this year's series, however, and the defending champs will be hard-pressed to do the impossible again.

READ: Cleveland's Struggles Ignite Kevin Love Trade Speculation

For starters, the 2017 Warriors are better than the 2016 Warriors that set a record with 73 regular-season wins. That's what happens when you add the league's second-best player.

Even in Golden State's 137-116 Game 4 loss, Kevin Durant was terrific. Putting up 35 points on 22 shots Friday night, he's averaging 34.3 points on 52.3 percent shooting against Cleveland. He's on his way towards being named the NBA Finals MVP with more than 30 points in every game, and Game 5 should be no different from the rest of the series.

It's not out of the question for the Cavs to win Game 5. Nearly taking both games at Quicken Loans Arena, they have the blueprint to upset the Warriors—get 30/10/10 from James, watch Kyrie Irving be a scoring machine and win the battle behind the three-point line.

James' stat line is basically set in stone at this point, and his greatness has become so commonplace that it’s easy to overlook what’s been one of the best individual Finals performances of all time. That alone won’t be enough against the Warriors, who managed to outscore the Cavs by 11 points in the seven minutes that James sat in Game 4.

Irving was sensational in both Game 3 and Game 4, totaling 78 points on 56 shots. It's nights like those when it's easy to see why James talks about one day handing the reigns over to the point guard as the team's best player. But Irving’s inconsistency keeps him from being mentioned as one the NBA’s truly elite stars, and it could be Cleveland’s undoing in this series.

Irving’s numbers are better at home, and he struggled to get going offensively in the series’ first two games at Oracle Arena. He often settles for difficult jump shots instead of driving towards the basket and utilizing his ability to finish at the rim better than anyone else in the NBA. Because Golden State’s defense is so good, they are sometimes able to exacerbate the flaws in Irving’s game.

As far as three-point shooting goes, it’s a pretty safe assumption that the Cavs won’t hit 24 threes on 53.3 percent shooting like they did Friday night. J.R. Smith’s 10-of-19 shooting from behind the arc probably won’t travel from Cleveland to Oakland, California. Kevin Love has shot poorly from the field in every other game, putting him on pace for a long night in Game 5.

READ: A Kevin Love For Klay Thompson Trade Almost Prevented The Warriors-Cavs Rivalry

Cleveland avoided a sweep, preventing Golden State from achieving perfection in the playoffs. With Curry and Klay Thompson likely due for bounce-back performances Monday night, one win is probably all the Cavs will get.

Golden State is an 8.5-point betting favorite in Game 5, via OddsShark, and the over/under is 231.5.

Prediction: Golden State over Cleveland, 130-110