The Lakers held onto a dicey margin to beat the Pelicans in the play-in game to book a ticket versus the Nuggets in the playoffs — yet again.
And with their first round playoff matchup set, the Nuggets saw their odds across the marketplace stay the exact same as it was before — indicating oddsmakers didn't care whether the Pelicans or Lakers won this game. It was all priced in — and the Nuggets were considered heavy favorites for either series.
Denver opened as -400 favorites to beat the Lakers and advance. The Nuggets haven't lost to the Lakers since Dec. 2022, which includes a playoff sweep last postseason — that's eight straight victories.
Denver remains +135 favorites to win the Western conference despite sputtering down the stretch and missing out on the No. 1 seed to the Thunder.
The Nuggets are also the second-best favorites to win it all at +300, behind the Celtics, which are priced at a ridiculous +165. Boston is an alarming -190 to win the Eastern Conference, but the advanced metrics — and the eye test — jibe with this assessment.
NBA Championship Odds
- Celtics (+165)
- Nuggets (+300)
- Clippers (+1500)
- Bucks (+1500)
- Thunder (+1600)
- Mavericks (+1600)
- 76ers (+1600)
- Timberwolves (+1900)
- Suns (+1900)
- Lakers (+2600)
The Lakers moved up the oddsboard from 33-1 to 26-1 after their win against the Pelicans. Their odds to win the Western Conference also moved up from +1800 to +1400.
Western Conference Odds
- Nuggets (+135)
- Thunder (+600)
- Mavericks (+650)
- Clippers (+650)
- Suns (+850)
- Timberwolves (+1000)
- Lakers (+1400)
