The NBA season is only a few months away and it's already shaping up to be interesting. There have been a wealth of trades and free agent signings that have shaped the 2013 NBA Championship Odds in what should be an excellent season yet again.
The 2013 NBA Championship Odds come courtesy of the Las Vegas Hotel (formerly the Hilton) in Las Vegas, Nevada. The LVH is home to the SuperBook, the world's largest race book and Las Vegas' largest sports book. Currently they have the Los Angeles Lakers as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA Championship next June. Some more of the favorites include the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Those three teams are the only teams in the NBA that have less than 10-1 odds to win the NBA Title.
Last week, Dwight Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Los Angeles Lakers, tilting the scales in the Western Conference, according to the oddsmakers. The Lakers were able to keep Pau Gasol, which previously was thought impossible. LA also picked up veteran point guard Steve Nash to help bolster their offense, which should be amazing now with a Nash-Howard pick and roll. In that matter of just one trade, the Lakers went from having decent odds to win the NBA title to now being the team to beat overall.
Obviously, the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder just finished the NBA Finals which saw LeBron James get his first of the predicted "8" rings with his club. While that may or may not ever happen, oddsmakers are still listing them as one of the favorites to repeat and win the NBA title in 2012-13. Kevin Durant showed how good he can be in the Olympics, stepping up consistently and knocking down shot after shot for the American men. The Thunder have a good group of players and are going to be a quality team for years to come.
But let's not also forget about the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. Both are listed at 10-1 odds to win the NBA title this coming season and both were very good in 2011-12 before falling late in the season. The Bulls went south once Derrick Rose blew out his knee in the playoffs and the Spurs, who were arguably the best team in the NBA last season until they ran out of gas in the playoffs as well.
2013 NBA Championship Odds
LA Lakers 5-2, Miami Heat 9-4, Oklahoma City Thunder 9-2, Chicago Bulls 10-1, San Antonio Spurs 10-1, Boston Celtics 20-1, Indiana Pacers 25-1, LA Clippers 25-1, Memphis Grizzlies 30-1, Philadelphia 76ers 30-1, Dallas Mavericks 40-1, Denver Nuggets 40-1, New York Knicks 40-1, New Jersey Nets 50-1, Atlanta Hawks 100-1, Milwaukee Bucks 100-1, Utah Jazz 100-1, Portland Trail Blazers 100-1, Minnesota Timberwolves 100-1, Houston Rockets 100-1, Golden State Warriors 100-1, New Orleans Hornets 100-1, Sacramento Kings 200-1, Phoenix Suns 200-1, Cleveland Cavaliers 200-1, Detroit Pistons 200-1, Washington Wizards 200-1, Toronto Raptors 500-1, Charlotte Bobcats 1,000-1 and Orlando Magic 1,000-1.
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