ESPN NBA analyst Paul Pierce declared the Cavaliers the worst team in the NBA on Thursday and took his criticism a step further when he claimed Cleveland would lose to Duke in an exhibition contest.
The Blue Devils did match the Cavs' 2018-19 win total with their first victory of the year on Tuesday, which was a 118-84 demolition of No. 2 Kentucky. But the oddsmakers in Las Vegas aren't so sure Duke could hold its own even against the worst team in the NBA.
Jeff Sherman, the vice president or risk management at Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, set the Cavaliers as 22.