Don't Let NBA Finals Expert Stephen A. Smith Get Hot

Stephen A. Smith is one of the hardest-working pundits in the game. He is not content to rest on his laurels and get soft. His takes, largely, still have gravitas — no matter what cynical bloggers may think. Except for his NBA Finals predictions, of course. We all know those are very, very bad.

Smith correctly picked the Golden State Warriors to win last year’s crown, his first accurate selection since 2010. The odds of flipping a coin and being wrong six times in a row? One point five-six percent.

But don’t let Smith get hot.

He has a very good opportunity to get it right for the second straight year. Golden State is an eyebrow-raising 8-1 favorite per Bovada. For context, the Warriors have been -210 and -240 twice in the previous three finals. Easy money, right?

Smith, however, seems to be laying the groundwork for a shocking Cleveland Cavaliers pick.

Or he’s just soft-peddling. Playing both sides a bit. Keeping the viewers on their toes and all that good stuff.

It will be a heck of a thing if he puts the Stephen A. curse in the rearview mirror. But, hey, don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.