Lakers close on Bucks in NBA Championship odds
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James makes a move against the Houston Rockets. (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire)
March 10th, 2020
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are right on the heels of the Milwaukee Bucks for the lowest odds to win the 2020 NBA Championship.
The shift in odds occurred after four straight wins for the Lakers, including victories over the Bucks and the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Lakers have won 11 of their last 12 games, an impressive run on its own before you consider the opponents they’ve bested. This recent hot streak has prompted their outright odds to shift from +300 to +240 on Monday at BetAmerica.
Odds to win the NBA Championship
| Team | NBA Championship Odds |
|---|
Milwaukee Bucks | +210 |
Los Angeles Lakers | +240 |
Los Angeles Clippers | +310 |
Philadelphia 76ers | +1400 |
Miami Heat | +1600 |
Toronto Raptors | +1600 |
Boston Celtics | +1600 |
Denver Nuggets | +1800 |
James leads the way for Lakers
James may not lead the Lakers in scoring, but he is leading the way for the purple and gold.
Last Friday’s matchup between the Lakers and Bucks wasn’t only anticipated as an NBA Finals preview. It also featured the two frontrunners for NBA MVP, with Giannis Antetokounmpo squaring off against James.
Antetokounmpo may be the favorite to win the award, but James is building a case. The most significant and recent evidence was a dominant performance against the Bucks.
The Lakers scored a 10-point win and James put up a game-high 37 points. He shot 57% from the field and narrowly missed a triple-double.
He followed that outstanding performance up with a 28-point effort in the Lakers’ 112-103 win over the Clippers.
LeBron's week defensively. pic.twitter.com/TnWIxLBwfM
— Grant Goldberg (@GrantGoldberg) March 9, 2020
Getting out of the Western Conference will be difficult for all contenders, including the Lakers. But James is playing his best basketball of the season, as if another championship loss is not an option.
Are the Lakers a good bet?
If bettors were on edge about the Lakers’ bid for a championship this year, the results last week likely calmed some of those worries.
Those victories show, when at the top of their game, the Lakers are more than capable of winning the championship.
The Lakers showed again today why they are the best team in the NBA. A championship level defense with a spectacular offense led by LeBron, still the greatest player in the world. Make no mistake: the Lakers are favorites to win it all.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) March 8, 2020
A $25 bet on the Lakers at odds of +240 has a potential return of $85. Futures markets change, and at some point in the next few weeks the Lakers’ odds could provide improved value for bettors.
There’s also the chance their odds go in the opposite direction, especially if the Lakers keep winning and stay healthy going into the postseason.
The Lakers are enjoying a great stretch. They’re a championship contender. But the time to maximize value may have already come and gone.
There are other championship contenders — like the Clippers — whose odds provide better value, especially if you believe the opportunity exists for another club to take a long playoff run.
Get in the game with BetAmerica's NBA odds, props, and futures!
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