Kevin Durant Injury Crashes the Warriors Championship Odds
When Kevin Durant limped off in Game Five against the Rockets it sent shockwaves throughout the NBA community. The TV crew suggested it was a calf injury but medical professionals across social media including David J. Chao, the Pro Football Doc, who has ominously suggested that it's an achilles injury. The Warriors have, rightly, been quiet on the issue with an MRI set to take place in the coming hours.
Bettors have understandably taken this news and used it to their advantage. KD was playing at an otherwordly level and was leading the Warriors toward another title, whilst Steph Curry stuttered and failed to recapture his usual form.
DraftKings, one of our favorite sportsbooks, has reported that the Warriors are now the longest odds (+110) that they've been all season, to win the NBA Championship. Quite incredible given that they're only one win away from the Conference Finals.
Here is how that price compares to the rest of the season:
- 10/16/18 - NBA season begins @ -200
- 4/13/16 - Playoffs begin @ -210
- 4/17/19 - DeMarcus Cousins injury @ -175
- 4/20/19 - Warriors lead the Clippers 2-1 @ -200
- 4/25/19 - Clippers win Game Four @ -154
- 5/1/19 - Warriors lead the Rockets 2-0 @ -195
- 5/7/19 - Rockets tie the series 2-2 @ -121
- 5/9/19 - Durant is injured as the Warriors take a 3-2 series lead @ +110
It's clear from that just how big of an impact bettors believe Kevin Durant will have on the outcome of this season's playoffs. Durant has been an elite player for years and only yesterday we posted an article about how hard it is to guard him.
Do you think this opens the door for the Bucks or Raptors to win the Finals? Why not open a DraftKings account and put a wager on it. You can even take advantage of their incredible $500 Free Bet offer!