2018-19 NBA Championship Odds: Warriors Remain Heavy Favorites over Raptors
December 13, 2018
Gamblers will have to wager plenty of money on the Golden State Warriors if they plan on making a head-turning profit by betting on their championship odds.
OddsShark shared the latest NBA title odds, and the two-time defending champions paced the field at -155 (bet $100 to win $64.52). They were followed by Wednesday's opponent, the Toronto Raptors, at +750.
OddsShark @OddsSharkUpdated odds to win the NBA Championship (@BovadaOfficial): GSW -155 TOR +750 BOS +900 PHI +1400 HOU +1500 LAL +1600 MIL +1900 OKC +2100 DEN +4000 UTA +5500 LAC +6000 DET/NO +7000 SAN +7500 IND +8000 MEM +9000 POR +9500 CHA/DAL +10000 MIN/WSH +11000 MIA/ORL +14000 SAC +16000
The Boston Celtics (+900), Philadelphia 76ers (+1,400) and Houston Rockets (+1,500) rounded out the top five.
Toronto sports the best record in the league at 22-7, while the 19-9 Warriors are slightly behind the Oklahoma City Thunder in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference.
It is no surprise to see the Raptors so high on the list since they have thrived with Kawhi Leonard. The two-way phenom has anchored the team since it acquired him via trade this offseason and helped the Eastern Conference squad defeat the Warriors in overtime on Nov. 29.
Toronto will have the chance to complete the season sweep Wednesday, although this matchup will be on the road.
Even with the Raptors' place in the standings, the Warriors are the clear-cut favorites given their status as the league's reigning team until proven otherwise. They have been to four straight NBA Finals, winning three titles and an NBA-record 73 regular-season games the one year they didn't lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy during that span.
They have an impressive record this season even though Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have each missed significant time in the early going. Come playoff time, opponents will have to match up with Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, Green and four-time All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins, who is yet to play for the Warriors as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
Golden State has been the safest bet in the league throughout the past four years, and Las Vegas clearly believes it is again this season given these odds.
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