NBA Odds – Will the Warriors Ever Lose Again? (Updated)

The Warriors undefeated run continued last week, to no real surprise. When a team is this good, the Suns, Kings, and Lakers aren’t what you’d call a “real threat.” If there is a real threat to Golden State’s bagel in the loss column, perhaps it’s the injury to Harrison Barnes.

A starter and third on the team in points per game, Barnes’ stroke from the corner figured to be something the Warriors offense missed in the coming weeks. But if Brandon Rush’s 4 for 5 effort from beyond the arc on Saturday is any indication of what’s to come, then Golden State is probably good for now.

As deep as they come and led by Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, it will probably take an injury to one of those three to derail the Warriors’ path to the best record in the league (perhaps even a historic record at that).

But it’s not just greatness that the record books remember; there is also a special place for futility, which is the category the Philadelphia 76ers find themselves in. With one more loss, the 76ers will have the record for worst start to an NBA season all to themselves. Then they can turn their attention to reclaiming the worst record in NBA history. Long-held by Philadelphia, the Charlotte Bobcats claimed the lowest win percentage in the strike-shortened season of 2011-12.

Once again this week, we continue to forecast how long these streaks will last, as well as include some new odds for success/futility.

Golden State Odds

Odds of which team will hand the Warriors their first loss:

• Utah Jazz (Nov. 30 and Dec. 23): 13/5
• Toronto Raptors (Dec. 5): 9/2
• Indiana Pacers (Dec. 8): 5/1
• Milwaukee Bucks (Dec. 12 and 18): 8/1
• Boston Celtics (Dec. 11): 9/1
• Charlotte Hornets (Dec. 2): 11/1
• Brooklyn Nets (Dec. 6): 18/1
• Phoenix Suns (Dec. 16): 25/1

No seven-game road trip can be considered easy, but the one the Warriors are embarking on certainly isn’t hard. The Indiana Pacers are the best team they’ll face (record-wise anyways). The biggest worry the Warriors should have is probably the Toronto Raptors. The Raps pushed them to the brink in a five-point loss in early November and have notched big wins over the Cavaliers and Thunder this year.

If (and probably when) they get back to the Bay Area unscathed, a pretty mediocre string of opponents awaits, until they play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Christmas Day!

Santa; all I want this year is LeBron going up against a 28-0 Golden State team!

Odds the Warriors reach 28-0: 3/2

Odds the Warriors break the 70-win plateau: 1/1

Odds the Warriors surpass the 71-72 Lakers’ 33-game win-streak (for a single season): 30/1

Philadelphia 76ers Odds

Odds of which team will hand the Sixers their first win:

• L.A. Lakers (Dec. 1): 21/20
• Brooklyn Nets (Dec. 10): 7 /1
• New York Knicks (Dec. 2 and 18): 8/1
• Denver Nuggets (Dec. 5): 9/1
• Detroit Pistons (Dec. 11): 13/1
• San Antonio Spurs (Dec. 7): 21/1
• Toronto Raptors (Dec. 13): 23/1
• Chicago Bulls (Dec. 14): 24/1
• Atlanta Hawks (Dec. 16): 26/1

Philadelphia was dealt another huge blow this weekend, coming so close to beating the Rockets, but ultimately remaining winless thanks to a Herculean effort by James Harden. Now it’s put up or shut up time for the hapless Sixers. They get a 2-14 Los Angeles Lakers team at home weighed down by an ancient (and now retiring) Kobe Bryant. If Philadelphia can’t win this game, they might not win again in 2015.

Odds the 76ers win a game before the Warriors lose a game: 3/5

Odds the 76ers losing streak reaches 20 games: 3/2

Odds the 76ers surpass the 2010-11 Cavs’ 26-game losing streak (single season): 9/2

Odds the 76ers record the lowest win-percentage in a single season (8 wins or less): 7/5 

(Photo Credit: Philadelphia 76ers (Originally uploaded to Flickr)[https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/])