According to Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, regarding winning the 2015-16 NBA championship, the Cleveland Cavaliers go off at a 2 to 1 shot, while the 16-time NBA champions the Los Angeles Lakers maintain 300-1 odds.
However, bettors placed more money on the Los Angeles Lakers to win the NBA title than on the Cleveland Cavaliers. ESPN notes, nevertheless, that the sharp money backs the Sacramento Kings.
Westgate, MGM, and William Hill books all favor the Cavaliers to win the championship. The 2015 NBA world champion Golden State Warriors, and the 2014 NBA champion San Antonio Spurs trail close behind.
The Warriors and Spurs top the list of attracting most money at the SuperBook. The Clippers and the Bulls follow, both of whom have single digit odds of winning it all. Surprisingly, next is the Lakers garnering heavy betting support, especially in the face of a miserable 2014-15 campaign and bookmakers obvious lack of confidence in them.
Jay Rood, vice president for MGM, said of the Lakers on the heels of what many consider to be the team’s worst season ever: “They are our biggest loser.”
Certainly the Lakers 300-1 odds poses a mighty healthy payout if they do pull off the miracle. A $100 bet will get you a whopping $30,000.
Miracles do happen in Sports. The “Amazing Mets,” who won the 1969 World Series, previously never finished higher than ninth place in the ten-team National League, and never previously enjoyed a winning season. The Lakers with a healthy Kobe Bryant and the 2015 2nd draft pick guard D’Angelo Russell, could demonstrate better results on the court this season.
Yet, experienced gamblers bet on Lakers to win less than 29.5 games, reports ESPN. At William Hill more than two-thirds of the money bet on the Lakers expects them to win under 29 games. That might put a crimp in the Lakers “Showtime” festivities next June.
“Lakers are the only team we have liability in the six figures on,” Jeff Sherman, NBA oddsmaker at the SuperBook points out. “You get more sharp play on the season wins, betting the Lakers under,… But then you have the more general public saying, ‘let me take a shot at 300-1 on them.’ Right, now the Lakers are third in ticket count in the entire NBA. They’ve got more tickets than Cleveland, more than Golden State.”
ESPN reported on some favorite season win total bets at Westbrook for this NBA season:
• New York Knicks under: New York’s win total opened at 31.5. It’s been bet down to 29.5.
• Minnesota Timberwolves over: Minnesota’s win total opened at 25.5. It’s been bet up to 28.0.
In contrast, the Cavaliers’ season win total opened at 56.5 at the SuperBook and remained there heading into the opening week.
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