NBA Championship Odds Update After Trade Deadline
The 2020 NBA Trade Deadline didn’t provide the jaw-dropping deals many fans were hoping for, but it did see a flurry of action that altered the trajectory for a couple of championship contenders, if only slightly.
Who went where?
The biggest deals, in terms of shifting the balance of power at the top of the league, saw Marcus Morris go from the Knicks to the Clippers, Robert Covington goes from the Hawks to the Rockets, and Andre Iguodala was dealt from the Grizzlies to the Heat.
Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers started the year as basically the championship co-favorites along with LeBron James’ Lakers. But they have fallen back a bit thanks to both Leonard and Paul George missing time and the team not looking championship-caliber without them. The addition of Morris gives them some much-needed frontcourt depth.
The on-court impact of Iguodala’s move to the Heat remains to be seen. The 36-year-old didn’t play a minute for Memphis before being traded and has just four points in 40 total minutes during his first two games with Miami. There’s no guarantee he rediscovers any sort of his previous form. That said, he has valuable playoff experience – including a Finals MVP – that much of Miami’s young roster is lacking.
Whether it’s betting against the spread, money line or simple NBA futures, it’s important to know how it applies to NBA betting as explained by Mytopsportsbooks. Below is a look at the odds now that we have seen all the new pieces in action.
1. The Los Angeles Lakers: +225
The Lakers were the favorite heading into the deadline and, despite standing pat, still are. At 40-12, they have the inside track on the top-seed in the West and the man who went to seven straight NBA Finals before last year’s injury-plagued campaign.
2. Milwaukee Bucks: +250
The Bucks didn’t do anything at the deadline, either, and it’s hard to blame them. They have the best win-loss record in the league, the third-best offensive, and the best defensive rating by a wide margin. They are winning by an average of nearly 13 points per night. At a league-leading 46-7, they will have home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
3. Los Angeles Clippers: +300
The Clippers, as mentioned, acquired Marcus Morris at the deadline and that move already looks good. They crushed the lowly Cavaliers in Morris’ first game and their new acquisition filled up the box score in a limited 22 minutes, chipping in with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.
If the Clippers are fully healthy, their roster now looks as good as any in the league. And with Kawhi – a two-time Finals MVP – leading the charge, they have the experience and top-level talent that it takes to win a championship these days.
4. Houston Rockets: +1500
There is a massive dropoff from the Clippers, who have the third-best odds, to the Rockets, who have the fourth-best odds. Houston (33-20) sits fifth in the West and has simply been inconsistent this year as they try to incorporate Russell Westbrook into a James Harden-led lineup.
The up-and-down nature of their first-half led to GM Daryl Morrey trading longtime center Clint Capela to Atlanta for Covington. The move signaled the team’s intention to go 100% all-in on small-ball.
So far, so … not great. While they impressively down the Lakers in Covington’s first game (121-111), they followed that up with a road loss to the middling Suns and a home loss to the Jazz.
T5. Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz: +1800
There is a three-way tie for the fifth-best odds right now between the Nuggets (38-16, #2 in the West), 76ers (33-21, #5 in the East), and Jazz (35-18, #4 in the West).
All three of these teams are perceived to have high ceilings given the sheer amount of talent on their rosters, but they won’t be given the benefit of the doubt until they achieve some level of playoff success.
The same goes for the rest of the top-ten, including reigning-champion Toronto, which is viewed as an entirely different team sans Leonard.
Best of the rest
T8. Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors: +2200
11. Dallas Mavericks: +3300
12. Indiana Pacers: +6000
13. Portland Trail Blazers: +6600
T14. New Orleans Pelicans, OKC Thunder: +10000
All other teams at +12500 or longer.