Warriors NBA Championship, Playoff Odds Soaring Since Jimmy Butler Trade

The Golden State Warriors are now seventh in the odds to win the NBA Finals this season.

Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III has improved the team's title odds. / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Don't look now, but the Golden State Warriors are making a serious push for a top-six seed in the Western Conference, and oddsmakers are taking notice.

Golden State is now seventh in the odds to win the NBA Finals (+1900) at DraftKings Sportsbook after sitting at +3000 following the deal for Butler. The Warriors have also made a major move in their odds to make the playoffs, as they're currently -525 to do so (an implied probability of 84 percent).

If you want to bet on the Warriors to win the title, their odds at FanDuel Sportsbook are better, sitting at +2200. That means a $100 bet on them to win there pays $2,200 if they win, while at DraftKings it would be $1,900.

The Butler addition has gone about as well as Golden State could ask to this point. The six-time All-Star has been motivated to prove that he's still an elite player, and the Warriors are 7-1 in their eight games since acquiring him.

Over that seven-game stretch, Golden State has the second-best net rating in the NBA, and Steph Curry is averaging 27.0 points per game. Butler has helped take some pressure off of Curry on the offensive end, but he's also opened up easier looks for the two-time league MVP.

The Warriors are on a five-game winning streak and are just one loss behind the Clippers for the No. 6 seed—the final playoff spot before the play-in tournament in the Western Conference. In addition, Golden State is just five games out of the No. 5 seed, which doesn't look completely unreachable given the team's recent play.

With Butler and Curry on the roster and healthy, Golden State has two players that have been the driving force for teams that have made the Finals in recent seasons. It may be time to buy Golden State as a contender before its odds shrink even further.

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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Find Peter Dewey's NBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on  BetStamp here.

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