Lakers News: Own Startling Championship Odds Despite Lackluster Roster
Being a part of Los Angeles sports means being held to a higher standard than most other cities across the country. The Lakers for the most part have been able to keep up with their 17 championships, including a most recent championship in 2018.
Despite an ageless LeBron James continuing to dominate, the Lakers have more recently struggled to find an identity. With an aging roster and the Western Conference continuing to stack its teams, the odds against the Lakers to win the championship seem daunting.
In the eyes of bettors however, that doesn't seem to be the case.
The Lakers have not made any huge splashes yet this off-season, but improved from 22-1 odds to 10-1 odds to win the NBA championship with multiple sportsbooks receiving betting interest for the team.
The Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat saw their odds slowly improve with the news of Kevin Durant asking for a trade, but the news of Kyrie Irving possibly landing in LA could be a driving factor to ramp up the Lakers betting.
The Lakers received 3.5 times more betting handle than any other team since Wednesday afternoon, according to ESPN Staff Writer David Pardum. Caesars Sportsbook would also confirm that a $10,000 bet at 22-1 odds from a bettor in New York would get sent in.
"People always think the Lakers will end up with everybody," - Eric Fenstermaker, Manager for Caesars Sportsbook.
Along with Caesars, DraftKings also saw a a large amount of bets being placed on the Lakers. Like Caesars, more bets had been placed on the Lakers than any other team since Thursday.
