The Los Angeles Lakers have been one of the NBA’s worst teams over the last six years with a dismal record of 163-329 over that stretch. But after signing LeBron James last offseason and trading for Anthony Davis this offseason, the Lakers suddenly find themselves as the betting favorites to win the NBA championship in 2020.
Lakers now sitting atop the 2020 NBA championship odds
The Los Angeles Lakers have soared to the top of the 2020 NBA championship odds at the sportsbooks after acquiring Anthony Davis to join LeBron James.
Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Los Angeles is a +250 favorite on the 2020 NBA championship odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. The last few months have been a perfect storm for the Lakers; the Golden State Warriors (+750 to win the NBA championship) have potentially lost both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson for next season with injuries, the Houston Rockets (+850) are dealing with inner turmoil, and winning the draft lottery to move up to No. 4 gave the team the draft capital it needed to trade for Anthony Davis without losing Kyle Kuzma.
Suddenly, the West looks wide open, Kevin Durant isn’t available to make an opposing team a whole lot better, and the Lakers have two of the top five players in the NBA with the cap space to sign another big free agent. Optimism around this group is certainly justified given the circumstances.
Right behind the Lakers on those NBA odds are the Milwaukee Bucks at +550. The Bucks finished last season with a 70-27 straight up and 57-36-4 against the spread record; if Khris Middleton decides to stay with the Bucks, they should once again be an elite team. If Kawhi Leonard decides not to re-sign with the Toronto Raptors (+600), Milwaukee will enter the 2019-20 season as the clear top dogs in the East.
If Leonard does return to the Raptors, expect their odds to go up a bit and for Toronto to be firmly in the mix for another championship next season. The Los Angeles Clippers (+1400) are currently one of the favorites to sign Leonard during free agency, which has been baked into their betting odds at this price.
Other contenders to win the championship in 2020 include the Philadelphia 76ers (+1000), Boston Celtics (+1800), Denver Nuggets (+2000), Dallas Mavericks (+2200) and Oklahoma City Thunder (+2200). With the draft set for Thursday and free agency following on July 1, there will be plenty of movement on these lines in the near future.
2020 NBA Championship Odds
Los Angeles Lakers +250
Milwaukee Bucks +550
Toronto Raptors +600
Golden State Warriors +750
Houston Rockets +850
Philadelphia 76ers +1000
Los Angeles Clippers +1400
Boston Celtics +1800
Denver Nuggets +2000
Dallas Mavericks +2200
Oklahoma City Thunder +2200
For more odds information, betting picks and a breakdown of this week’s top sports betting news check out the OddsShark podcast. Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify or listen to it at OddsShark.libsyn.com.
