Fully Operational Arenas and the Home Court Advantage in the NBA Finals

The start of the NBA finals comes with wondering and scheming, but the champion may just have been decided even before Game 1, which makes us look forward to July 7. 

Pertaining to the NBA finals championship, home-court advantage is colossal. The odds are usually in favor of the home team. The NBA history proves this. 

Out of the 71 seasons in history, home teams have emerged champions 50 times. That’s a hefty 70%. 

Sure, the home team has that advantage because of several factors. 

When you look at the numbers, you’ll undoubtedly realize that a team that plays when the fans are right there in the arena cheering them on loudly will play better even at pressure points. 

For regular games, teams with the home advantage emerged winners in the last five years. The number, however, reduced from 57 percent to 54 percent because the arenas did not operate in total capacity. There were no fans to up their game, so the benefit of playing at home was limited. 

However, this makes nothing of the fact that in NBA history, home teams have turned out more successful during final games. They have a 61 percent winning rate. 

And the number shoots high whenever home teams get to play Game 1 and Game 7. 

Since the NBA games started 71 years back, home teams have become champions at the first game as many as 53 times. That’s because 75% of the time, the series opened with several fans at the arena, cheering them on. No road team could wriggle out of that to come out as the winner. 

The 7th game is another herculean task for road teams. Road teams have only emerged champion at a few games, including notable wins of the 1969 Boston Celtics, 1974 Celtics, and the 1978 Washington Bullets beating the Seattle SuperSonics. 

There was a 38-year drought in NBA history where six home teams beat their opponents at Game 7. Well, except that in 2016, there was a 3-1 deficit, where the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 while on the road. 

That home teams have often won the first and final games of the NBA finals shows how vital the home advantage is. The hosts have consistently won Game 1 and Game 7, only leaving road teams with fairer chances of winning at Game 2 and Game 5. 

Between 1985 and 2013, the 2-3-2 format, where the home team had to play three consecutive away games, did not benefit these home teams. Their winning rate reduced from 71 percent to 66 percent. 

But ever since the NBA returned to its usual 2-2-1-1-1 format in the NBA finals of 2014, home teams have regained their wins, going as smooth as 6-1.

Plus, the NBA arenas have resumed operations fully. The arenas are now close to full, pulling even the more the home-court advantage. 

So, this year’s Betway NBA odds are in favor of the team with the home advantage.

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