Kevin Love’s Return Having Little Effect on Game 1 Betting Line

The Highlights

• After suffering a concussion in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Kevin Love did not play in Game 7.
• Love cleared the league's concussion protocol and is available to play in tonight's Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
• Love's return has had very little effect on the point spread for tonight's game.

Kevin Love averaged 17.6 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the regular season and, after missing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals due to a concussion, has been cleared to play in tonight's Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

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While this news is big for the Cavs, Cleveland fans and mainstream sports media, it's had very little effect on the line for tonight's game. After the Cavs opened as 12-point underdogs, Warriors money moved the line to Cavaliers +13 before news of Love's return broke.

While Love's status was certainly up in the air, it's reasonable to assume that his return for Game 1 was probable enough that sportsbooks already priced it into the line and therefore needed to make only minor adjustments.

But even with Love back in the lineup, Golden State is still the largest single-game favorite in the history of the NBA Finals.

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