LAS VEGAS (AP) \u2014 The Western Conference is so loaded that its championship might be the real NBA Finals, at\u2026<\/p>\n
LAS VEGAS (AP) \u2014 The Western Conference is so loaded that its championship might be the real NBA Finals, at least if all the betting money pouring in on those teams is any indication.<\/p>\n
Of the top seven potential NBA champions that would be bad financial news for BetMGM Sportsbook, six reside in the West. Miami, at 200-1 odds, is the lone Eastern Conference team that the book would not be pleased see hold up the Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeemingly, we\u2019re just going to be cheering for whoever comes out of the East,\u201d said Halvor Egeland, BetMGM trading strategy manager.<\/p>\n
Western Conference teams have won three of the past four championships, with Boston in 2024<\/a> the exception.<\/p>\n The top two favorites at BetMGM are defending champion Oklahoma City<\/a> (+240) and 2023 champ Denver<\/a> (+550). Eastern Conference teams Cleveland (+750) and New York (9-1) are next.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, the Knicks, if they make a big run, our liability grows,\u201d Egeland said. \u201cBut as of now, they\u2019re actually one of our best results. Like always, we\u2019re expecting the Lakers to be a big liability. We\u2019re expecting the Warriors to be up there. We usually take a lot of Nuggets money. We\u2019re live in Colorado, and personally, I think they\u2019re going to be a very good team as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Caesars Sportsbook is seeing that same kind of trends.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Nuggets, obviously with their offseason, they took some heavy action early,\u201d said David Lieberman, Caesars\u2019 NBA sports lead. \u201cThe Warriors and Lakers are pretty always two of our biggest liabilities. Just popular teams for people to bet on.\u201d<\/p>\n CBS SportsLine handicapper Bruce Marshall said he expects this NBA season to end like last season.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Oklahoma City\u2019s clearly the team to beat,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cThey\u2019ve got good depth and even with a couple of front line injuries, they can get over them. They\u2019re wearing a bigger target this year. I think they\u2019re going to be much the same as a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Three-man MVP race<\/p>\n The Thunder\u2019s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP<\/a> and is the favorite at BetMGM at +260 to capture the award again.<\/p>\n But, he has company.<\/p>\n Denver\u2019s Nikola Jokic and the Los Angeles Lakers\u2019 Luka Doncic are next at each 3-1. Jokic is a three-time MVP. Doncic has never received the award, but he figures to be the focus of LA\u2019s offense, especially with LeBron James missing the first part of the season<\/a> because of sciatica.<\/p>\n Voters tend to prefer to give the benefit of the doubt on close races to those who haven\u2019t won the award recently or at all.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s always the thing with awards,\u201d Egeland said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t necessarily go to who had the best season. You have to price it as if you\u2019re going for who\u2019s going to be voting. That\u2019s why I like Jokic. I think he should\u2019ve won last year.\u201d<\/p>\n Jokic is the favorite at Caesars.<\/p>\n \u201cI personally think Jokic should be the favorite,\u201d Lieberman said. \u201cI think there\u2019s an argument he probably should\u2019ve won last year, but I do think SGA was deserving of it. They had such a good year, I had no issue with him winning, but I think there\u2019s kind of a prevailing thought that he won because the team\u2019s record was so good.\u201d<\/p>\n Handicapping the win totals<\/p>\n Marshall said he liked Orlando (50 1\/2), Indiana (37 1\/2), Miami (37 1\/2) and Charlotte (26 1\/2) to go over the win totals.<\/p>\n The Magic were particularly intriguing to him.<\/p>\n \u201cI think this is the team that might be ready to take off,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cThey had a lot of injury problems last year. \u2026 They still made the playoffs.\u201d<\/p>\n He was more bearish on Boston (41 1\/2), Philadelphia (42 1\/2) and Memphis (39 1\/2), expecting those team to go under. Marshall said health concerns were an issue for all three clubs.<\/p>\n Distracted in LA<\/p>\n The Lakers are 16-1 to win the championship and the crosstown Clippers are at 18-1.<\/p>\n Both teams face their share of questions.<\/p>\n For the Lakers, it James\u2019 health as well as whether this will be his final season. The NBA is investigating<\/a> whether the Clippers violated the salary cap regarding an endorsement deal for Kawhi Leonard.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the biggest X-factor is the Clippers, even more than the Lakers, because of Kawhi,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cHis availability, you never know about that. \u2026 This off-court thing with Kawhi\u2019s contract, will that be a distraction? I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lakers, you can sense change coming. I\u2019m almost convinced this is it for LeBron. Maybe Luka is primed for an MVP season, but that was no fluke when Minnesota beat them<\/a> (in the playoffs) last year. They just out-athleted them everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n Capturing the Flagg<\/p>\n