NBA Odds & Betting

The 2019-20 NBA season is not even a month old, but LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers have emerged as the betting favorites to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June.

The Lakers currently own +300 odds (bet $100 to win $300), while the Los Angeles Clippers (+350), Philadelphia 76ers (+600) and Milwaukee Bucks (+600) follow closely behind:

The Lakers entered the season among the favorites after a busy offseason, which included the acquisitions of Anthony Davis, Danny Green and Dwight Howard. A season-opening loss to the Clippers appeared to temper expectations, but James and Co. have responded by running off six consecutive victories.

James (26.1 points, 11.1 assists, 8.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals) and Davis (26.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.0 blocks) have each performed at MVP-caliber levels. Howard (6.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks) and Green (47.2 percent from three-point range) have provided quality support.

As a result, the Lakers appear to be in a position to not only snap a franchise-record six-year playoff drought, but also contend for a championship.

The Clippers (5-2) are tied for the second-best record in the Western Conference. Reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard (29.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.3 steals) has led the way as he gets acclimated with his new teammates.

The scary part for the rest of the NBA? The Clippers have piled up the wins despite missing 2018-19 NBA MVP finalist Paul George, who has been sidelined by a shoulder injury. Once the Clippers have the Leonard-George duo on the court together, they will boast a 1-2 punch that few around the Association can match.

Philadelphia is tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference at 5-1 thanks to a star-powered roster that features the likes of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Al Horford.

Led by reigning league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee (5-2) has won three games in a row heading into Wednesday night's showdown with the Clippers.

One gambler is betting big on the Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons combination.

David Purdum of ESPN cited Jeff Sherman, who is the vice president of risk for the SuperBook at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, and reported an anonymous bettor wagered $100,500 on the Philadelphia 76ers to make the playoffs at minus-5,000 odds.

It is the same bettor who placed a $67,000 gamble on the Golden State Warriors to make the playoffs last season at minus-10,000 odds. That bet led to a $670 profit, while the latest one on the 76ers would net a $2,010 profit.

There's a reason Philadelphia is listed at minus-5,000 odds to reach the playoffs.

The Sixers were 51-31 last season, which was good enough for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. They pushed the eventual champion Toronto Raptors to seven games in the second round of the postseason, only to lose in heartbreaking fashion when Kawhi Leonard drilled a buzzer-beater in the decisive contest.

While that team lost Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick, it added Al Horford and Josh Richardson this offseason.

Combine that with the fact that Toronto no longer has Leonard and the Boston Celtics no longer have Kyrie Irving or Horford, and the 76ers are on the short list of Eastern Conference favorites alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.

They still have Simmons and Embiid as the franchise cornerstones, and Tobias Harris now has a full offseason to prepare in the same system after coming to Philadelphia via a midseason trade in 2018-19.

Philadelphia making the playoffs is one of the safest NBA bets available at this point. While this bettor will have to wait for some time to collect the winnings, it is one way to make more than $2,000.

The NBA season never stops. 

Odds are already out for the 2020 NBA playoffs with the Milwaukee Bucks (-5000, bet $5000 to win $100) leading the way in the Eastern Conference and Los Angeles Clippers (-2500) headlining the Western Conference, per Caesars: 

The Bucks' position atop the East isn't a surprise given the team is coming off of an NBA-best 60-22 2018-19 campaign centered around league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. It will be compelling to see how the Philadelphia 76ers (-4000) are able to challenge the Bucks with Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris returning and Jimmy Butler and JJ Redick departing.

The intrigue really rests out West. 

The Clippers (-2500) surged to the top of the conference after signing Kawhi Leonard and trading for Paul George. Pairing those two All-Stars propelled them over the crosstown Los Angeles Lakers (-1200), who teamed Anthony Davis with LeBron James earlier in the offseason, as well as the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets. 

Perhaps what sticks out the most is the Golden State Warriors' relatively meek -400 odds to make the playoffs with Klay Thompson's recovery from an ACL injury expected to last well into the season and Kevin Durant opting to sign with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. 

The Nets' odds (-340) are still lukewarm despite adding Durant and Kyrie Irving, as Durant is expected to miss all of next season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles.

The Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns face the longest odds at +1500. The Suns have not made the postseason since the 2009-10 season, while Memphis has entered full-on rebuild mode—headlined by trading Mike Conley to Utah and drafting Ja Morant at No. 2 overall.

Overall, though, the NBA seems as open as it has been in a while heading into the new season. 

Everybody is looking up at the Milwaukee Bucks heading into the 2019-20 NBA season according to Caesars Palace.

Caesars released early wins totals for every team in the league, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's squad checks in with the highest total at 57. The Bucks are followed by the Los Angeles Clippers (55.5), Philadelphia 76ers (54.5), Utah Jazz (52.5), Denver Nuggets (52) and Houston Rockets (52).

It is notable the Bucks—who didn't add any All-Stars this offseason in a summer of significant player movement—are atop the list.

For one, they are in the Eastern Conference and theoretically have an easier path to the NBA Finals than the Western Conference contenders. Milwaukee and the 76ers are the only teams from the East in the top seven on this list, and neither team has to worry about Kawhi Leonard anymore.

Leonard knocked the 76ers and Bucks out of the playoffs last season while leading the Toronto Raptors to the championship, but he joined the Clippers alongside Paul George.

He was one of many notable players to change teams, along with Anthony Davis going to the Los Angeles Lakers, Mike Conley going to the Jazz, Russell Westbrook going to the Rockets, Kemba Walker going to the Celtics, and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant going to the Brooklyn Nets, among others.

Going with the over on any of the Western Conference teams will be difficult because of the challenging schedule that lies ahead. Even a middle-tier team on this list like the Dallas Mavericks will have Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis leading the way on a nightly basis.

That may be one reason the Lakers are below six other teams even though they will have Davis and LeBron James playing together. They won just 37 games last season and missed the playoffs while Davis trade rumors derailed their chemistry, but they finally have the six-time All-Star leading the frontcourt.

Even with that tandem, they may not be the best team in their own city.

Best of luck figuring out which Western Conference teams will exceed expectations and win totals in that situation.

After reportedly landing some of the biggest stars in free agency, the Brooklyn Nets are now considered one of the favorites to win an NBA title next year.

Per Caesars Palace, the team has 18-1 odds to win the 2020 title after sitting at 25-1 earlier in the day.

The Nets will sign Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Sunday.

The Los Angeles Lakers remain the favorites to win a title as of Sunday at 2-1 odds.

The Lakers already have LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but the potential of landing a third star in free agency keeps expectations even higher.

Free agency clearly plays a major role in determining the landscape of the NBA, considering the shift in title odds for Brooklyn. On the other hand, the New York Knicks have dropped from 12-1 odds to 100-1 odds after missing out on landing Durant or other key free agents, per Caesars.

Of course, there are still significant question marks surrounding the Nets even with the new additions.

Durant is coming off a ruptured Achilles suffered in the NBA Finals, which could keep him out or limit him the entire 2019-20 season. Wojnarowski previously reported the forward is expected to miss the entire year.

This could hurt the Nets' chances of winning a championship in the upcoming season.

It would leave Irving to pick up most of the slack, and he was unable to lead the Boston Celtics past the second round last year despite arguably having more talent around him than he will in Brooklyn.

The Nets are clearly in better shape than they were yesterday, but it's understandable for them to be slightly behind other favorites in betting odds.

The Los Angeles Lakers are now listed as the prohibitive betting-line favorite to land New Orleans Pelicans superstar forward Anthony Davis in an offseason trade. 

Here's a look at the updated odds as of Tuesday afternoon following an active couple days of rumors:

The Lakers' -500 betting line (bet $500 to win $100) is equivalent to an 83.3 percent chance. Meanwhile, the +4000 odds of Davis staying in New Orleans means the oddsmakers believe there's just a 2.4 percent chance the 26-year-old Chicago native opens the 2019-20 NBA season on the Pelicans' roster.

Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic reported Monday the Lakers and New York Knicks were Davis' "two desired long-term destinations." He only has one guaranteed season left on his five-year, $127.2 million contract, so confidence in being able to sign him to an extension will be key in trade talks.

Although Los Angeles is expected to make a full-court press to add star power alongside LeBron James this summer, New York's desire to go all-in on a trade for the Pelicans star may be wavering.

Ian Begley of SNY reported earlier Tuesday some members of the Knicks' front office are "uncomfortable with the idea of trading away significant assets" for Davis, and they've cited the lack of success during the Carmelo Anthony era as a key reason for their hesitancy.

The Pelicans' preferred timetable for a trade also works in the Lakers' favor.

New Orleans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin would prefer to get a deal done in time to acquire selections in the 2019 NBA draft on June 20—the Knicks own the No. 3 pick and the Lakers own the No. 4 pick—per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.

New York, which has been long rumored as the top possible landing spot for now-injured Golden State Warriors superstar Kevin Durant, might not be prepared to finalize a massive blockbuster deal within the next nine days given the renewed uncertainty surrounding KD.

So all the tea leaves over the past few days have pointed either directly or indirectly toward Davis landing with the Lakers, and the latest odds reflect that trend.

The Toronto Raptors scored a 105-92 victory over Golden State Warriors in Game 4 of the 2019 NBA Finals on Friday night, and now they're definitive favorites to capture the first championship in franchise history thanks to a 3-1 series lead.

Here's a look at the updated Finals odds as of Saturday afternoon:

The Warriors came into the clash with the Raptors as a clear favorite (-320) to win the NBA title despite uncertainty about whether superstar forward Kevin Durant would return from a calf injury during the series.

Durant has remained sidelined and Golden State has also dealt with injuries to Klay Thompson, DeMarcus Cousins and Kevon Looney throughout the series, leaving the two-time defending champions short on their usual offensive firepower.

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Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors have taken full advantage. Leonard, who won an NBA Finals MVP Award in 2014 with the San Antonio Spurs, is on pace to take home that honor again by averaging 30.8 points and 10.3 rebounds in the series' first four games.

Toronto's first chance to secure the title comes Monday night as they return home to Scotiabank Arena for Game 5.

Despite falling 118-109 to the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday, the Golden State Warriors are still slight favorites to win the series. 

According to Caesars, the Warriors are -160 (bet $160 to win $100) favorites and the Raptors are +140 (bet $100 to win $140) underdogs to prevail in the 2019 Finals:

The Warriors are the two-time defending NBA champions and have won three of the past four championships, while the Raptors are playing in their first NBA Finals.

With Kevin Durant missing his sixth consecutive game due to a calf injury, the Raptors took advantage in Game 1. Forward Pascal Siakam led the way with a team-high 32 points, while Kawhi Leonard added 23 points in the victory.

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Stephen Curry was the high scorer for Golden State with 34 points, but he didn't receive much help from his supporting cast, as the rest of the Dubs' starting lineup mustered just 39 points combined.

The Warriors had been 5-0 in these playoffs without Durant, but after Thursday's loss, they could be in trouble if he doesn't return soon.

KD is the two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP, and he was averaging 34.2 points per game in this year's playoffs before getting injured.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said Friday that Durant will not play in Game 2 of the Finals on Sunday. Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports then reported that Durant is expected to return "midway" through the series.

Prior to the Finals, Caesars listed the Warriors as -320 (bet $320 to win $100) favorites to win the series and the Raptors as +260 underdogs.

Toronto's Game 1 win has altered the odds significantly, and the Raptors opened as 1.5-point favorites to win Game 2 at home and take a 2-0 series lead.

The 2018-19 postseason has yet to conclude and the NBA draft and free agency are still over a month away, but there are already championship odds for the 2019-20 season. 

The Golden State Warriors remain the favorites at +200 (bet $100 to win $200) and the Milwaukee Bucks are nipping on their heels at +400, but the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers—each possessing cap space and expected to make a splash in free agency this summer—are tied for third with the Houston Rockets at +1200.

You can see the full odds below:

Interestingly, the Los Angeles Lakers—also armed with cap space to sign a premier free agent, or assets to go after Anthony Davis in a trade—are tied for ninth in the odds with the Denver Nuggets (+2000). Clearly, oddsmakers don't believe the Lakers will make the sort of splash that the Clippers or Knicks might. 

Rumors have long linked Toronto Raptors pending free agent Kawhi Leonard to his hometown Clippers, while the buzz for much of this past year has been that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving will team up on the Knicks.

That would certainly alter the balance of power in the NBA, as will Davis' eventual landing spot. And then there a slew of other impressive potential free agents who could be on the move, including Jimmy Butler, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker, Tobias Harris, Al Horford, DeMarcus Cousins, Nikola Vucevic and more. 

Players like D'Angelo Russell and Kristaps Porzingis will be restricted free agents as well, though they'll be expected to return to the Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks, respectively. 

Will the Sixers be able to keep the big four of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Butler and Harris together? Will Walker look to pair up with a star elsewhere, perhaps James in Los Angeles? Will the Boston Celtics pursue Davis and give up young stars like Jayson Tatum even if Irving departs? Who else other than Davis—Bradley Beal comes to mind—might be on the trade block? Would Thompson consider leaving the Warriors if Durant also bolts?

It's all up in the air, and it should make for compelling theater. Oddsmakers clearly believe the Knicks and Clippers will be among the teams who have the best summer, but only time will tell how the offseason will play out.

The Philadelphia 76ers are the clear favorites to land Jimmy Butler this offseason as the four-time All-Star is all but certain to opt out of his contract.

According to Caesars sportsbook, the Sixers are -150 to re-sign Butler (bet $150 to win $100). The Brooklyn Nets are second on the list at +600, while the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers (+800) are a distant third.

With the start of free agency still months away, Philadelphia is clearly leading the Butler sweepstakes because of the financial advantages of returning to the City of Brotherly Love.

The Sixers can offer Butler a five-year, $190 million max extension. Another team can only put a four-year, $140 million contract on the table.

Money was apparently a driving factor leading to Butler's trade request from the Minnesota Timberwolves. According to The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski, he was upset when Minnesota only tabled a four-year, $110 extension rather than a four-year, $145 million deal, which would have required corresponding roster moves to free up salary-cap space.

However, many will question whether giving Butler a max extension is the best move for the Sixers. Butler will turn 30 and has put a lot of mileage on his body over the years. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2013-14, he's averaging 36.9 minutes per game.

Paying Butler $38 million annually into his mid-30s doesn't look all that attractive.

The alternative isn't great for the Sixers either. If they lose Butler, they might struggle to land another marquee free agent to replace him.

General manager Elton Brand depleted the team's depth in order to acquire Butler and Tobias Harris as well, so Philadelphia wouldn't have a wealth of secondary players to step up and fill the void Butler would create through his departure.

Brand has basically painted himself into a corner. He either has to run it back with the same roster—one that couldn't get past the second round—or risk taking a step or two backward while he reshuffles the squad around Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.