The NFL Season ends in less than a month, which means we should start thinking about that other great American sports league, NBA Basketball! Golden State remains a less than -160 favorite to grab rings for the third straight time, but a preseason dog has emerged from the Eastern Conference pack who believes they can win the title.
Does Toronto offer fair odds at +700? Are the Warriors an overlay at -160? Check out an update on the 2019 NBA Championship odds!
Updated 2019 NBA Championship Odds – January 14th Edition
It’s #NBA Power Rankings Monday at @TheAthletic
This week, @talkhoops uses the midway point in the season to admit where he was wrong about teams as part of his weekly guided tour of our collective staff rankings. https://t.co/wPEPhxKNn6 pic.twitter.com/eypoR2djVC — The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) January 14, 2019
2019 NBA Championship Odds – Top 10 Choices
- Golden State -160
- Toronto Raptors +700
- Boston Celtics +1000
- Houston Rockets +1100
- Philadelphia 76ers +1600
- Milwaukee Bucks +1800
- Oklahoma City Thunder +2000
- L.A. Lakers +2200
- Denver Nuggets +3300
- San Antonio Spurs +5000
Are the Warriors an Underlay at -160?
A team that offers overlay odds means that team offers odds above what they should offer. There’s some talk that Golden State is such a stand out that they offer overlay odds at -160.
That’s just not the case, though. Golden State is 29-14 as of January 13. They don’t even have the best record in the Western Conference. Not only that, but if they plan on dominating, they had better start doing it soon.
Denver leads the West while San Antonio, Houston, Portland, and the L.A. Clippers are all within 5 games of Golden State. Ask for at least even money odds before pouncing on the Warriors to win their third straight.
Which Eastern Conference Team Offers the Best Chance Based on Odds?
Toronto was hot in the first month. At one time, behind the awesome play of Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors had the best record in the NBA. They still have the best record, but they share it with Golden State and Milwaukee.
Toronto could continue playing great. They’re not the best play at less than double-digit odds to win the deep Eastern Conference, though. That moniker goes to the Milwaukee Bucks, who have been stunningly good this season.
Nobody saw Milwaukee rushing out to a 30-12 record. As of Jan. 13, the Bucks are 19-4 at home and 11-8 away. They’ve gone a great 24-16-2 ATS. So, in addition to considering backing the Bucks at +1800, consider backing them to cover the spread when they hit the court.
Which +2000 or Higher Odds Team Can Upset the Favorites?
Two teams show up with +2000 odds or higher who could upset the favorites and win the NBA Championship. The L.A. Lakers at +2200 remain in the playoff race even though LeBron James has been out with an injury. The Lakers are for real when LeBron’s healthy. The other players have embraced his leadership.
The other team that has a big shot are the Oklahoma City Thunder. Paul George and Russell Westbrook make for an excellent team. The Thunder play great defense and they can lean on an underrated center in Steve Adams.
Both the Lakers and Thunder can get it done at big odds. Don’t sleep on either if you’re looking for a longshot with a chance.
