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Milwaukee Bucks guard\/forward Kevin Porter Jr. (7) attempts to get around Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein, second from right, as he trails behind Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) as Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) looks on during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo\/Kayla Wolf)<\/p>\n
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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’Brien Trophy.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeemingly, we’re 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’re actually one of our best results. Like always, we’re expecting the Lakers to be a big liability. We’re expecting the Warriors to be up there. We usually take a lot of Nuggets money. We’re live in Colorado, and personally, I think they’re 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’ 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’s clearly the team to beat,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cThey’ve got good depth and even with a couple of front line injuries, they can get over them. They’re wearing a bigger target this year. I think they’re going to be much the same as a year ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Three-man MVP race<\/p>\n The Thunder’s 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’s Nikola Jokic and the Los Angeles Lakers’ 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’s 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’t won the award recently or at all.<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s always the thing with awards,\u201d Egeland said. \u201cIt doesn’t necessarily go to who had the best season. You have to price it as if you’re going for who’s going to be voting. That’s why I like Jokic. I think he should’ve 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’s an argument he probably should’ve 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’s kind of a prevailing thought that he won because the team’s 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. … 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’ 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. “His availability, you never know about that. … This off-court thing with Kawhi’s contract, will that be a distraction? I don’t know.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Lakers, you can sense change coming. I’m 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