Lakers’ NBA championship odds rise after D’Angelo Russell trade
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner – USA TODAY Sports
The day after LeBron James broke the NBA’s all-time record but LA lost to a sub-.500 team, the Lakers signaled they still thought they were title contenders.
Apparently Vegas believes them.
After swinging a trade centered on acquiring guard D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers’ NBA championship odds surged, going from +4000 to +2500 at BetMGM.
It’s a massive move for a team that’s still outside the NBA play-in tournament, but with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and now Russell headlining their team, Vegas thinks LA represents a bigger threat now than before.
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The Lakers are still outside the Top 10 in NBA Championship odds, but they have edged out the Miami Heat.
The Lakers are still two games out of 10th place in the playoff standings. They are also only four games away from the 6th seed, which would guarantee them entry into the first round. So you can look at it both ways.
For Vegas, this seems like a smart way to avoid any massive bets on a team that was likely betting to win the title at the start of the season. For me, the Lakers still aren’t deep enough to wrestle, so I’ll save my money for another bet.
Game odds are updated periodically and are subject to change.
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