Breaking Down NBA Finals Odds Amid Restart Rumors
Nothing is set in stone, but all signs point to the NBA season restarting this summer. Meaning, the most strategic, high-rolling gamblers are already looking to see where to place their money. Here are the latest odds to win the NBA Finals via FOX Bet:
And here's some advice:
Toronto's shocking Finals win last season was an anomaly. The NBA rarely produces surprise champions. Thus, you enter longshot territory with bets expanding beyond the top three teams. Experts and fans agree this season those spots belong to Milwaukee and the two teams in Los Angeles. With such minimal separation between the Clippers and Lakers, it's close to 50-50 which team would win a seven-game series. Therefore, the Bucks, with no real equal in the East, are correctly ranked as the favorites. The one caveat looming is if the NBA spices up its return by seeding the playoffs 1-16. In that case, I'll take Kawhi Leonard over LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
If we are to believe the unfortunate pause and now projected restart of the season could cause mayhem, Boston at +2000 is the route to go. The most well-coached, in-sync rosters will first return to midseason form. The Celtics' scrappy style could slide into the final four absent of stress.
FOX Bet has the 76ers as the Best Boost at +3000. This is an intriguing bet. If you are looking for value, Philadelphia comes with the most. The 76ers might not make it out of the first round but are this year's "if everything goes right, and a lot goes wrong for everyone else" pick. The awkward-fitting, very large squad can at least provide matchup mismatches for the contending teams. None of the players work together, but it's a star-studded roster that's ranked behind teams not fit for the playoffs, the Jazz and Nuggets.
Houston, ranked third, is in a stay away, don't even think about it area. This team never figured it out all season and will return even more incompatible. If a better is to make money off the Rockets this summer, it'll come by betting against them in the first round.