The flurry of trade deadline moves may have brought more teams into the picture for the 2020 NBA championship, but they didn’t change the pecking order at the top.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks remain the betting favorites at most sportsbooks despite standing pat at the trade deadline.
While many of their chasers scrambled to add impact players before the deadline, the Bucks remain seven games ahead of the Toronto Raptors atop the Eastern Conference while the Lakers hold a 2 1/2-game edge over the Clippers in the West. The Clippers beat out the Lakers for Marcus Morris Sr., which may help them close the gap over the stretch run of the regular season. However, Lakers odds actually strengthened over their city rivals at one sportsbook.
The Lakers and Clippers were being offered at +300 co-favorites to win the NBA championship at DraftKings before the deadline. On Friday, the Lakers had moved to +275, followed by the Bucks at +300 (down from +320) and Clippers at +333.
The Miami Heat were the biggest movers, with their odds sliced by a third from +3000 to +2000 following the acquisition of Andre Iguodala. Conversely, the Philadelphia 76ers went from +1200 to +1400 following the deadline, while the Houston Rockets’ odds rose from +1500 to +1600.
The odds will continue to fluctuate heading toward the playoffs, but it’s clear who the trio at the top is.
The Bucks are +290 favorites at FanDuel, followed by the Clippers and Lakers at +300. The Boston Celtics are the next betting favorites at +1400.
The Bucks and Lakers are +275 co-favorites at PointsBet, followed closely by the Clippers at +300, with the Rockets the next down the line at +1000.
William Hill is favorite the Lakers at +260, followed by the Clippers (+275) and Bucks (+300). The Rockets are also fourth at William Hill at +900, followed by the 76ers at +10000. –Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
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