The Golden State Warriors are NBA champions again.

For the first time since 2018 and for the fourth time in the past eight years, the Warriors stand alone atop the association.

Golden State, which was +800 to win the title at FanDuel Sportsbook entering the playoffs, became the first team in NBA history to go from the worst record in the NBA to winning a championship over a three-year span.

Steph Curry scored a game-high 34 points with seven assists and seven rebounds as the Warriors beat the Boston Celtics 103-90 in Game 6 to clinch the title on Thursday night.

Curry, who was awarded NBA Finals MVP for the first time in his career, became the seventh player in NBA history to win four championships and multiple MVP’s, joining LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bill Russell.

After watching him produce at an elite level throughout yet another title run, it’s easy to forget that Curry started the postseason coming off the bench just two months earlier as he made his way back from a foot injury that kept him out for the final month of the regular season. 

It would have been easier to overlook Golden State based on their injuries, lack of depth, and some tough competition to get back to the top.

Looking back now, it’s hard to imagine not taking a flyer on the Warriors at +800 to win the championship at the start of the playoffs.

Here’s the TSN EDGE Morning Coffee for Friday, June 17th, 2022.

Warriors Are NBA Champions Again! 

Three teams had shorter odds to win the NBA title than Golden State at FanDuel Sportsbook on opening night.

Two of them didn’t win a single playoff game.

The Warriors started the season as the fourth choice to win it all at +1200.

The Brooklyn Nets (+250), Los Angeles Lakers (+400) and Milwaukee Bucks (+650) were the top three choices at FanDuel.

The Lakers didn’t even make the playoffs.

The Nets were swept by Boston in the first round. 

Golden State was able to beat the odds thanks in large part to the unbelievable play of Curry, first and foremost.

Beyond the Finals MVP, a lot of things came together for the Warriors to go the distance.

Klay Thompson showed flashes throughout the playoffs.

Jordan Poole came out of the gates on fire when Curry was working his way back from injury.

Then on the biggest stage of them all, Andrew Wiggins stepped up as Golden State’s second-best player in the NBA Finals.

Wiggins went for 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks in Game 6.

The 27-year-old scored 17+ points with 6+ rebounds in each of the final four games of the series, including 26 points and 13 rebounds in a Game 5 win.

There’s no doubt that Curry carried the Warriors as their MVP.

At the same time, I’m not sure this team beats Boston without Wiggins elevating his level of play the way he did.

Meanwhile, even though their season ended in disappointing fashion, the Celtics overachieved relative to their pre-season odds.

Boston was +5000 to win the title on opening night.

The Celtics were +1800 just to make it out of the Eastern Conference.

Looking forward to the 2023 NBA season, FanDuel opened with Golden State as the favourite to win the championship again at +460.

FanDuel has Boston as the second choice at +650.

For Canadian basketball fans that are wondering, the Toronto Raptors are +6000 to win the title at FanDuel.

Argos Survive Scare From Als In Season Opener

Toronto Argonauts fans had an extra week to wonder what they would get from veteran additions Andrew Harris and Brandon Banks this season. 

The early results were worth the wait.

Harris carried the ball 18 times for 87 yards in a 20-19 win over the Montreal Alouettes on Thursday night.

The veteran back also had three catches for 23 yards.

Banks finished with three catches for 39 yards and the lone touchdown in last night’s win.

The Week 2 opener went down to the wire, as Montreal kicker David Cote missed a 21-yard field goal in the final seconds and Toronto held on for the win.

CFL favourites are now 5-0 straight up, but 3-2 against the spread this season.

Next up, the Alouettes head home to host the Saskatchewan Roughriders in Week 3.

The Argonauts will travel to face the B.C. Lions.

Meanwhile, the CFL schedule continues tonight with the most highly-anticipated showdown of the season tonight.

Eric Cohen’s Ottawa Redblacks host the defending Grey Cup champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Friday Night Football.

For those of you that don’t know, Cohen led the way for the TSN EDGE team that jumped on Redblacks +5.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook on Monday afternoon.

While that number is down to Ottawa +2.5 at FanDuel, Cohen’s logic behind betting the RedBlacks did not sit well with Blue Bombers’ fans.

All eyes will be on TD Place tonight to see how it plays out.

As far as yours truly, I’m also on Ottawa +5.5, as well as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats -1.5 against the Calgary Stampeders, the Saskatchewan Roughriders -6.5 against the Edmonton Elks, and a two-team parlay with the Argonauts and Roughriders to win outright at +110.