Sports books have updated their NBA title odds after the Los Angeles Lakers acquisition of Anthony Davis, and expectations for the Miami Heat are low.
It’s hard to win a championship in the NBA, and sports books often reflect the stark differential between the title favorites and the underdogs. As expected, following the trade of Anthony Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Los Angeles Lakers, the books have updated their title odds for the 2019-20 for the Miami Heat and the rest of the league.
It’s no surprise that the early money is on the Lakers, as it is just about any time they do something or are rumored to do something, and they’re the heavy favorites according to BetOnline, via our partners at Odds Shark, at +350, meaning that your $100 wager would net you $350 if they were to win.
The defending champion Toronto Raptors are in a three-way tie for fourth with the Los Angeles Clippers (one of these two teams could leap the other if Kawhi Leonard ends up with one or the other), the injury-riddled Golden State Warriors at +1000, meaning a $100 wins you $1,000.
Between first and the fourth-place tie are the second-place Milwaukee Bucks at +700 and the third-place Houston Rockets at +900.
To find the Miami Heat and their title odds, you have to scroll all the way to the bottom of the page, where you find them in a seven-way last-place tie with the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns and the Washington Wizards.
These teams are all +10000 to win, so your $100 would win you $10,000 if you were so inclined to invest your money in such a fashion.
Of course, these are the early days of the offseason. Should the Miami Heat manage to pull off a blockbuster deal for Jimmy Butler or another star, for example, this last-place tie would be a thing of the past. Until that time, however, you can buy very (very) low on the Heat’s slim championship possibilities.