- Warriors most popular bet to win 2023 NBA title with 16.0% of the betting tickets and 18.9% of the total betting handle at BetMGM.
- Surprisingly, the L.A. Lakers are the second most-popular bet with 11.2% of the betting slips and 12.8% of the total money.
- The L.A. Clippers are third with 6.3% of the total bets while the Phoenix Suns have 7.6% of the betting handle.
The Golden State Warriors are not just the odds-on-favorite to win the 2023 NBA championship. The recently-crowned NBA champions are also the most popular bet to win again next season.
According to the online sportsbook BetMGM, the Warriors have 16.0% of the total betting tickets issued and 18.9% of the total betting handle for the 2023 NBA championship betting market.
Warriors Open as Co-Favorites to Win 2023 NBA Title
Latest Odds to win the 2023 NBA Finals 😳
– Clippers +600
– Warriors +600
– Celtics +600
– Nets +600
– Bucks +750
– Suns +900
– Heat +1400
– 76ers +1400(Odds via @DKSportsbook) pic.twitter.com/lptjRwZvAD
— VegasInsider (@VegasInsider) June 17, 2022
The Warriors opened as co-favorites with the L.A. Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics to win the 2023 NBA championship at +600 odds apiece. The odds have since changed and currently, Golden State has moved up as the solo favorite at +500 odds.
The L.A. Clippers meanwhile, have the second-shortest odds at +600. Last year’s runners-up, the Boston Celtics are third with their +650 odds while the 2021 NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks are 4th at +700 odds.
Golden State defeated Boston 4-2 in the 2022 NBA Finals to win its fourth NBA championship in six trips to the NBA Finals during the last eight seasons. With Golden State expected to return Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody plus the return of Jonathan Wiseman, the oddsmakers are picking the Dubs as the team to beat.
The Clippers have emerged as solo second favorites with news that All-Star guard John Wall will sign with the team after clearing waivers following his buyout with the Houston Rockets. The Clippers are also expected to get Kawhi Leonard back this season from injury. According to BetMGM, the Clippers have the third most bets to win the NBA title with 6.3% of the total betting tickets written.
Notable Title Odds Movement
Notable Title odds movement @BetMGM 📈 📉
• Warriors: +550 ➡️ +500
• Clippers: +700 ➡️ +600
• Lakers +2200 ➡️ +1400 pic.twitter.com/M2M1zSm3ht
— NBABet (@nbabet) June 28, 2022
It’s no wonder why the Warriors’ and the Clippers’ title odds have improved since opening and we talked about it earlier. However, it’s quite surprising why the Lakers’ odds have stuck to +1400 even after Kyrie Irving opted into the final year of his Brooklyn Nets contract.
The Lakers opened with +2200 odds to win it all next season after missing the playoffs and finishing 11th in the Western Conference during this past campaign. Los Angeles’ odds shortened after they were linked to Irving but now that Kyrie has decided to stay with Brooklyn rather than pursue a trade, the Lakers’ odds have stayed at +1400 at the top NBA sportsbooks, which may have made them overvalued.
Although the Lakers are expected to return a healthy Anthony Davis and have a new head coach in Darvin Ham, we saw how the team struggled with chemistry more than anything else with their unlikely trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. Russ recently picked up his player option with L.A. which means that he’s sticking around for at least one more year and that Ham will have the unenviable task of creating synergy between the three stars.
It remains to be seen how that works out but the Lakers are the second most popular bet with 11.2% of the tickets and 12.8% of the betting handle in the 2023 NBA title market and are the only team with double-digit bet and money percentage aside from the Warriors. Los Angeles even has more money on them than the Phoenix Suns who have only 7.6% of the total handle.
