Cavaliers Among Best First-Half Teams Ever; Can They Capture Title?

The Cleveland Cavaliers NBA odds for winning a title have gotten better in the past few months as it has become obvious that coach Kenny Atkinson’s team is one of the NBA’s best.

But can the Cavs keep it going all the way into June?

Cleveland is 34-6, one game shy of the halfway point in the NBA season. Win or lose in game No. 41, Saturday at the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Cavs have stacked together one of the best halves in recent memory. BetOhio.com wanted to know how they compare to past teams that had the best 41-game stretches to start a season, as part of our Ohio sports betting coverage.

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Cavs Have Company At The Top

If the Cavs win Saturday at Minnesota, they’ll join a current list of 14 teams in NBA history that won at least 35 of their first 41 games in the first half of a season, according to ChampsorChumps.us data. We say current because the Oklahoma City Thunder – the team that split two games with Cleveland this month – has a chance to get there first, by one day. OKC is also 34-6 and faces the Mavericks in Dallas tonight.

At bet365 Ohio Sportsbook, a $100 parlay bet on the Cavs (+350 odds to win the Eastern Conference) and the Thunder (+115) to meet in the NBA Finals would pay out $967.50, according to the operator’s odds as of Jan. 17. Cleveland defeated OKC at home, 129-122, on Jan. 8 but the Thunder topped the Cavs 134-114 on Thursday in Oklahoma City.

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Historic Trends For Hottest First-Half Teams

The history of hot first-half teams run the gamut: Some faded in the second half, some had great regular seasons but stumbled early in the playoffs, and a select handful are considered to be among the greatest single-season teams ever.

The Cavs are third at Caesars Ohio Sportsbook in NBA title odds at +800. The Thunder have been bet up to co-favorite status alongside the defending champions Boston Celtics at +240 each.

Of the 14 teams that had a winning percentage of .854 or better in the first half of a season, eight won the NBA championship. That illustrious list includes the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers team that won 33 games in a row, the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls team that finished 72-10 – at the time a record for wins in a regular season – and the 2014-15 Golden State team that kicked off the Warriors dynasty.

Even if Cleveland loses Saturday at Minnesota, they’d still be among 22 teams that started at least 34-7. Of the eight teams that started exactly 34-7, three went on to win the championship.

NBA betting will continue to draw interest statewide as Cleveland tries to put together the best season in franchise history – the 2008-09 Cavs went 66-16 for an .805 winning percentage before losing in the Eastern Conference finals – and finish the job by claiming the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the second time.

USA Today photo by David Richard

Author

Jim Tomlin

Ohio native Jim Tomlin has 30 years of experience in journalism, mostly in sports. He lends his expertise to BetOhio.com as a writer and editor after previous experience at the Tampa Bay Times, FanRag, Saturday Down South and Saturday Tradition.

Team	Record, winning pct.	Final record, Playoff result
1971-72 Lakers	38-3, .927	69-13, won NBA title
1995-96 Bulls	38-3, .927	72-10, won NBA title
1966-67 76ers	37-4, .902	68-13, won NBA title
2015-16 Warriors	37-4, .902	73-9, lost NBA Finals
1991-92 Bulls	36-5, .878	67-15, won NBA title
1996-97 Bulls	36-5, .878	69-13, won NBA title
2005-06 Pistons	36-5, .878	64-18, lost conference finals
1977-78 Trail Blazers	35-6, .854	58-24, lost conference semis
1982-83 76ers	35-6, .854	65-17, won NBA title
2010-11 Spurs	35-6, .854	61-21, lost first round
2014-15 Warriors	35-6, .854	67-15, won NBA title
2015-16 Spurs	35-6, .854	67-15, lost conference semis
2016-17 Warriors	35-6, .854	67-15, won NBA title
2019-20 Bucks	35-6, .854	56-17, lost conference semis
2024-25 Cavaliers*	34-6, .850	TBD
2024-25 Thunder^	34-6, .850	TBD