The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder enter this weekend’s playoffs as the clear betting favorites to go back to back, while the Los Angeles Lakers are dominating first-round series action.
Key Takeaways
- OKC is the best-case scenario for BetMGM in the futures market.
- The Lakers are the most-bet team to win a first-round series.
- Bettors are split on three Game 1 spreads this weekend.
Western Conference top seed Oklahoma City opened as a +240 favorite in BetMGM’s NBA champion market, and the Thunder have shortened to +140. Because of the low NBA title odds and bettors taking chances on long shots like the Lakers, the sportsbook will be in a good spot if the favorite holds serve.
“The Thunder are clear favorites to win the NBA Championship heading into the playoffs,” Anthony Parenti, BetMGM sports trader, said. “Among the true contenders, OKC is the best result on the futures market. The sportsbook is in the enviable position of getting to cheer for the favorite to win it all.”
BetMGM took more money on the San Antonio Spurs (+450) and more tickets on the Denver Nuggets (+1,000) than OKC, which is getting 10.9% of the bets and 15.5% of the handle. theScore Bet reported that the Thunder are leading the NBA champion market with 15.7% of the wagers and 15.8% of the money.
FanDuel reported a massive influx of wagers on the Lakers at +25,000 earlier this week.
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Lakers long shots
Sportsbooks will be sweating the Lakers in many ways. Not only are the LeBron James-led West 4-seed BetMGM’s biggest liability in the futures market, but they’re also the most-bet team to win their first-round series with odds of +425.
The fifth-seeded Houston Rockets are -550 favorites that are only getting 8% of the tickets and 7% of the handle at BetMGM. The Lakers have taken 60% of the wagers and 80% of the money at theScore Bet, where L.A. is the only underdog with the majority of both categories.
However, the most-bet correct score market by handle is the Rockets in seven games at +825.
Heading into Saturday’s prime-time Game 1, the Lakers are 5.5-point underdogs and getting 68% of the bets at DraftKings. The Rockets have seen 54% of the handle in the series opener.
Series upsets?
Among the first-round matchups set before the play-in concluded, another BetMGM underdog drawing heavy action is the Portland Trail Blazers, who have attracted more than 80% of both tickets and handle at +1,000 to upset the Spurs in a best-of-seven series.
At theScore Bet, No.2 San Antonio has seen over 90% of the tickets and handle to take out No. 7 Portland. The closest first-round series by tickets at the operator is Cleveland Cavaliers-Toronto Raptors, which is nearly an even split. However, 90% of the money is backing No. 4 Cleveland.
The Cavs winning the series 4-0 with odds of +425 is the operator’s most-bet correct score for the market.
Bettors have taken a clear stance on the No. 2 Boston Celtics, hefty -900 favorites to get past the Philadelphia 76ers, who are getting less than 7% of the series handle at theScore Bet. The No. 3 New York Knicks (-270) are getting close to 90% of the money to eliminate the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks, while the No. 3 Nuggets (-340) have taken over 80% of the money to beat the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves.
Game 1 splits
Aside from Lakers-Rockets, DraftKings bettors are currently split on two other Saturday Game 1 spreads. The Cavs (-8.5) are getting 69% of the handle, but 51% of the tickets have come in on the underdog Raptors.
The Nuggets have taken 54% of the wagers as 5.5-point favorites, but the T-Wolves are getting 60% of the spread handle in the series opener.
The Knicks are getting nearly 60% of the tickets and a dominating 84% of the handle as 5.5-point favorites over the Hawks. For Sunday’s games, the Celtics’ -12.5 and the Spurs’ -10.5 aren’t scaring off the majority of bets and money at DraftKings.
The Eastern Conference 1-seed Detroit Pistons await the winner of Friday’s Hornets-Magic play-in game, while the Thunder get either the Golden State Warriors or Phoenix Suns.
