2020 NBA Championship Odds: Rockets 4th Betting Favorite; Lakers Top Contender

The Houston Rockets find themselves among the betting favorites for the 2020 NBA title following their reported acquisition of 2016-17 NBA MVP Russell Westbrook.

According to Caesars Palace, Houston's odds (+750; bet $100 to win $750) trail only those of the Los Angeles Lakers (+350), Los Angeles Clippers (+400) and Milwaukee Bucks (+450) after Thursday's blockbuster deal:

The teams near the top of the list have had eventful offseasons.

The Lakers have been among the most active teams this summer as they look to snap a franchise-record six-year playoff drought. They have added six-time All-Star Anthony Davis, two-time NBA champion Danny Green and four-time All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, among others.

Adding those players around four-time MVP and three-time champ LeBron James has made the Lakers a popular pick to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Meanwhile, the Lakers' Staples Center rivals, the Clippers, have had arguably the biggest offseason of any franchise. They acquired both two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and 2018-19 NBA MVP finalist Paul George to lead a roster that won 48 games a season ago without a superstar.

Milwaukee is the only club in the top four to not make a blockbuster move this offseason, though it did re-sign All-Star Khris Middleton. Led by reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks won an NBA-best 60 games last season and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. With Leonard out west now, the Greek Freak and Co. will enter next season as one of the favorites to win the East.

Thursday's deal gives Houston two of the last three league MVPs in Westbrook and James Harden. The Rockets averaged 59 wins during the two years of the Harden-Chris Paul era. Back in 2012, Harden and Westbrook, along with Kevin Durant, helped lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Finals before falling to the James-led Miami Heat.

OKC finds itself a long shot with +15000 odds following the trades of Westbrook and Harden. Coming off five consecutive Finals appearances, the Golden State Warriors sit at +1400 after losing Durant, Cousins and Andre Iguodala this summer. As well, Klay Thompson is expected to miss much of the season as he works his way back from a torn ACL.