Four months into the season, the odds of winning the NBA championship reflect a significant change at the top.
The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors, considered second-tier contenders entering the season, enter the All-Star break as the favorites to win the NBA title at sportsbooks across the country. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers, who opened the season as the favorites, fall back down the list.
The Suns, at +450, are the favorites in Caesars Sportsbook, followed by the Warriors at +475. The Nets (+550) are next, with the Milwaukee Bucks (+600) and Philadelphia 76ers (+700) rounding out the teams with single-digit title odds at Caesars.
The Lakers have seen their championship odds rise from 3-1 before the season to 30-1 before the All-Star break. Going into the season opener, more money had been bet on the Lakers to win the title than on all other teams combined at multiple sportsbooks. Now, they’re 2-1 underdogs to even make the playoffs.
The Suns and Warriors have taken advantage of the Lakers’ struggles and have the best records in the Western Conference. They moved ahead of the Nets to the role of favorites last week. While the Suns are the favorites, more money and more bets have been placed on the Warriors to win the title than on any other team at Caesars Sportsbook.
The Nets lost 12 of their last 14 games before the All-Star break and traded James Harden for Ben Simmons. Adam Pullen, deputy chief operating officer for Caesars Sportsbook, believes Brooklyn remains a top contender with Kevin Durant, but notes that the pool of teams with legitimate chances to win it all is larger this season.
“This season feels more open,” Pullen said. “Usually with the NBA, when you get to the playoffs, you can count on the fingers of one hand how many teams have a legitimate shot at winning it all. I don’t think that’s going to be the case this season.”
