We don’t know who the Cleveland Cavaliers will be facing in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But there’s a good chance that it will be the Atlanta Hawks — a team that they defeated on Wednesday and will be taking on again on Friday evening.
Earlier this week, we asked fans who would win a possible first-round series between the Cavs and Hawks and in how many games it would be. An overwhelming majority believe that the Cavs will win the series (74%), but they’re split on the length of the series.
Fifty percent of fans believe the Cavs will win in six or seven games, while just 24% believe they will do so in five or fewer.
It’s also worth noting that the community believes it could be a longer series. A total of 71% of those surveyed think that this will go six or seven games.
There’s some things to be sorted out in the Eastern Conference standings between spots five through 10 before we know exactly who the Cavs will face in the first round. As of now, it’s possible the Cavs could match up with the Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, or the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round.
FanDuel believes in the Cavs’ chances in the playoffs. They give the Cavs the second-best chance to win the Eastern Conference at +310 behind only the Boston Celtics (+160). The Detroit Pistons (+480) and New York Knicks (+490) trail both. FanDuel lists the Cavs as having the fifth-best chance at winning the NBA Finals at +1200.
