NBA Odds: Late Lakers Surge As 43% Of Bets On LA Ahead Of Restart

The day is here! Today we finally get to see competitive basketball back on our screens as the NBA resumes after it was initially put on pause due to the Covid-19 breakout.

Who is the most-backed team?

We've continually tracked our exclusive betting data as the restart has drawn closer, at times seeing surges for teams like the Celtics, 76ers and Rockets, with bettors seeing real value in their odds. Now, with the first games scheduled to take place later today we can reveal that over the past 24 hours there has been a HUGE quantity of bets placed on the LA Lakers, with 41.3% of bets in that timescale being on LeBrons team.

The big money is obviously backing the Lakers to a 17th NBA Championship to their trophy cabinet, which would tie them with the Boston Celtics, as the most succesful ever team. They're currently favorites and available at a best price of +270.

Throughout the past few weeks and months there has been a steady stream of Lakers support, and over the past fortnight that has tracked at between 15-20% of bets but now that stream has turned into a flowing river with the Lakers' huge support.

Could the Raptors repeat?

The second most well-backed team in that timeframe, the Toronto Raptors make up 23.9% of total bets, an increase for them too. They haven't skipped a beat since Kawhi left for the Clippers and at +2400 they stand a great shot of taking the East.

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Can the Clippers beat the Lakers to the Championship?

Speaking of Kawhi Leonard, his newest team, the Los Angeles Clippers, third favorites at +340, have taken 13% of bets, making them the third most popular bet in the past 24 hours. As we've tracked them throughout this suspension of the league, they've continually tracked well below their city rivals, the Lakers, with our bettors, despite books pricing them very closely. The Lakers odds give them an implied probability of 27% of winning the Championship, compared with the Clippers 22.7%. 

Can the Bucks win the NBA Finals?

Despite being second favorites, at a very short +280, the Bucks have only taken 2% of bets in the past 24 hours, a surprisingly low number given their easier conference. It appears that bettors have cooled in their support of Giannis.

Which outsider has the best chance of winning the NBA Championship?

The Denver Nuggets, have proved to be a popular longshot bet ahead of the restart accounting for 8% of bets, despite large odds of +3000 to win the Championship. A well-rested Joker could be a real danger to anybody that the Nuggets meet in Orlando.

NBA Championship Odds

Lakers +270

Bucks +280

Clippers +340

Rockets +1600

Celtics +2000

Raptors +2400

76ers +2700

Compare odds on every team to win the NBA Championship here.