The end of the regular season in the NBA is slowly approaching and questions about the playoffs will soon emerge. Teams like the Knicks will have to figure out what went wrong and try to fix themselves in the offseason. For teams in the playoffs, the only question will be whether or not they can win each series they play in.
Favorites for the Championship.
The Warriors are listed at 5:11 odds to win it all this season. That means fans won't even make back half their bet total if The Warriors did go on to win it all. The next best odds are held by the Cavaliers, who are currently listed at 3:1 odds.
A team always have a chance when it has LeBron James, and Cleveland plays in a much weaker Eastern conference. The Spurs are the next team listed at 10:1. Vegas obviously thinks that San Antonio has the best chance to knock the Warriors off their high perch.
There is then a major jump in odds. The Houston Rockets, led by star James Harden, are listed at 25:1. The Celtics are the next best team in the East according to Vegas, listed at 40:1. They are followed by the Toronto Raptors, who are a longshot at 50:1. All other teams in the NBA are listed at odds above Toronto's.
Why are Warriors Favored So Heavily?
The Warriors are in first place in the NBA right now with a record of 50-10 this season.
The addition of Kevin Durant has helped increase the visibility of the team further, and Vegas clearly believes that the team improved after he was added. Anything less than a championship in 2017 would be seen by the former Thunder star as a major disappointment. Golden State is just hoping that the injury he suffered Tuesday night against the Warriors isn't too serious.
Who to Bet on?
It doesn't seem worth it to bet on the Warriors with these long odds. It would be better to bet on a less likely winner like the San Antonio Spurs to reap the full benefits of a wager. You might win a bet on the Warriors, but it's not particularly likely that you'll win much money betting on a team that is favored so heavily.
