LeBron James' decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers has put a seismic shift into the team's betting odds to win the NBA title.
The superstar forward chose to link up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown after weeks of leaving the sporting world in limbo on where he would play next season. With his addition, the 76ers' odds moved from +2000 to +850 to secure the Larry O'Brien Trophy, an implied probability increase of 5.77%.
That gives Philadelphia the third-shortest title odds, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. It also sees them pass the reigning NBA champs, the New York Knicks, as the new favorites in the Eastern Conference.
NBA Championship odds
| Team | Odds (7/24) | Odds (7/17) |
|---|---|---|
| Thunder | +270 | +240 |
| Spurs | +275 | +240 |
| 76ers | +850 | +2000 |
| Knicks | +1000 | +800 |
| Celtics | +1300 | +1200 |
| Raptors | +1700 | +1800 |
| Heat | +2000 | +2500 |
| Pistons | +2200 | +2200 |
| Timberwolves | +2200 | +2200 |
| Cavaliers | +2500 | +2000 |
| Nuggets | +2500 | +2500 |
| Pacers | +4000 | +4000 |
| Lakers | +4000 | +4000 |
| Warriors | +5000 | +3000 |
The Knicks were +800 to claim back-to-back titles before James' decision. It also pushed the Celtics from +1200 to +1300. The Raptors' odds slightly moved to +1700, while the Heat rounded out the top-5 in the Eastern Conference with a jump to +2000.
In the Western Conference, the Thunder and Spurs fell slightly from +240 to +270 and +275, respectively. Those are the only clubs at the top of the conference whose odds took a hit from LeBron joining the 76ers. The Warriors, who were in the running to sign James, dropped from +3000 to +5000 after the 22-time All-Star opted to move East.
Philadelphia is coming off a 45-37 regular season riddled by injuries. Embiid and Paul George each played fewer than 40 games, but were healthy down the stretch and defeated the Celtics in seven games in the first round of the playoffs. They ultimately fell to the Knicks in a four-game sweep in the conference semi-finals.
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