Lakers, Bucks NBA Title Favorites Heading into All-Star Weekend
Despite having the NBA's best record and being on pace to become just the third team in NBA history to win at least 70 games in a regular season, the 46-8 Milwaukee Bucks are not the title favorites heading into the All-Star break. That honor currently belongs to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 41-12 Lakers are +180 to win the title at Caesars Sportsbook, followed by the Bucks at +275. The Clippers are +325 and have the third-best title odds.
ESPN's David Purdum notes that more than twice as much money has been bet on the Lakers to win the 2019-20 NBA championship than any other team at Caesars Sportsbook in Nevada.
The Rockets have the fourth-best odds, according to Caesars, and the Raptors, Celtics, Heat and Nuggets are all 20-1 bets to win the title.
While Zion Williamson opened the season as the clear favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, Grizzlies star guard Ja Morant is now the favorite to take home that prize.
Morant flourished throughout his first 48 career NBA games, averaging 17.6 points and 7.1 assists per contest. Memphis enters the All-Star break at 28-26, good enough for No. 8 in the West.
Williamson has looked every bit as good as advertised thus far, but he's appeared in just nine games.
All-Star Weekend takes place between Feb. 14-16 in Chicago. Friday will feature the Rising Stars game with tipoff set for 9 p.m. ET. All-Star Saturday Night begins at 8 p.m. ET. Sunday's All-Star game starts at 8 p.m. ET.
