NBA Title Odds: New York Knicks Improve, Chicago Bulls Plummet In Updated Odds
NBA title odds for the 2017 championship have shifted again. In an update on which NBA teams have the best odds of winning a title this year, the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls have seen big shifts. A report from ESPN reveals how the new NBA title odds appear, with the Knicks moving from 100-to-1 odds to 60-to-1 odds at winning the championship. The key transaction of the trade of point guard Derrick Rose may have changed the fate of not just the Knicks, but also the team he was leaving (Bulls).
The odds for the Chicago Bulls winning the title dropped from 40-to-1 all the way down to 100-to-1 following that singular transaction. The Bulls had been given the ninth-best odds at winning the championship, but are now on the same line as the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards for the 2016-17 NBA season. Can Rose lead the Knicks to the NBA Finals?
The Bulls weren’t the only team to see the odds go in a negative direction, as the Miami Heat slipped from 25-to-1 odds to 200-to-1 odds in the latest update. This can be explained by Dwyane Wade signing with the Bulls as a free agent and Chris Bosh going through medical issues. That removes two All-Star players from the active roster for the Heat, taking the team out of the conversation about being a top contender.
As for the team with the best 2017 NBA title odds, the Golden State Warriors are way out in front. The Warriors are slated at 5-to-7 odds to win the championship, predicting it would be more likely for the team to win the title than to come up short. Signing free agent Kevin Durant played a big role in these odds, as the Warriors add him to a core that still includes Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who just won the 2016 NBA championship, are slated at 5-to-2 odds to repeat this season. The only other team close to the Cavs and Warriors in the updated NBA title odds is the San Antonio Spurs, who are slated at 6-1 odds to win in the first season after Tim Duncan decided to retire. The Spurs did add free agent All-Star Pau Gasol to the roster, with Gasol joining a core of LaMarcus Aldridge, Kawhi Leonard, and Tony Parker.
Basketball fans looking for the longest odds and the biggest opportunity to choose an underdog have three teams to select from. The Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns are at 500-to-1 odds now, but those aren’t the least likely teams to make the 2017 NBA Finals. That title belongs to the Brooklyn Nets, as the Nets are now listed as 1,000-to-1 odds to win the title. Even the Philadelphia 76ers, a team that hasn’t won 20 games in any of the past three seasons, came in ahead of them.
The 2016-17 NBA schedule begins on Tuesday, October 25, with the New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, and Golden State Warriors playing in two of the primetime games. That’s when fans will get to see how well these teams have gelled during the offseason, with the results likely further shifting how the NBA title odds will look this year.
Updated 2017 NBA Title Odds
Golden State Warriors: 5-7
Cleveland Cavaliers: 5-2
San Antonio Spurs: 6-1
Los Angeles Clippers: 20-1
Boston Celtics: 20-1
Oklahoma City Thunder: 30-1
Toronto Raptors: 40-1
Atlanta Hawks: 60-1
New York Knicks: 60-1
Portland Trail Blazers: 80-1
Utah Jazz: 80-1
Detroit Pistons: 80-1
Minnesota Timberwolves: 100-1
Chicago Bulls: 100-1
New Orleans Pelicans: 100-1
Houston Rockets: 100-1
Memphis Grizzlies: 100-1
Indiana Pacers: 100-1
Washington Wizards: 100-1
Miami Heat: 200-1
Milwaukee Bucks: 200-1
Orlando Magic: 200-1
Charlotte Hornets: 200-1
Denver Nuggets: 200-1
Philadelphia 76ers: 300-1
Dallas Mavericks: 300-1
Sacramento Kings: 300-1
Los Angeles Lakers: 500-1
Phoenix Suns: 500-1
Brooklyn Nets: 1000-1
[Featured Image Scott Halleran/Getty Images]
