Upcoming Match-ups

Clippers Title Odds Fade to +400 While Lakers Improve to +450; Which LA Team Is the Better Championship Bet?

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in NBA Basketball

Updated Apr 3, 2020 · 10:43 AM PDT

Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center
The Los Angeles Clippers are the favorite to win the 2020 NBA Championship. Photo By Amin Eshaiker (Wiki Commons)
  • The Los Angeles Clippers will be without Paul George for at least the first six games of the season.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers will likely start the season without Kyle Kuzma, who is also injured.
  • LAL won their preseason opener 123-101 against the Golden State Warriors

The Los Angeles Lakers are going to be juxtaposed with their Staples Center neighbors, the Los Angeles Clippers, all season long.

That includes the NBA Championship odds where the Clippers have faded a little bit as the favorite, and the Lakers have closed some ground.

Which of the two is the best bet to win it all?

Odds to Win 2019-20 NBA Championship

Team Odds
Los Angeles Clippers +400
Los Angeles Lakers +450
Milwaukee Bucks +600
Houston Rockets +700
Philadelphia 76ers +700

*Odds taken 10/8/2019

Lakers Will Get More of the Spotlight

It’s well known that the Lakers get more attention – including media attention – than the Clippers and we’ve already seen that through one preseason game. The Clippers have actually played two games already but it’s the Lakers that garnered plenty of love after their 123-101 win over the Golden State Warriors.

We’ve already heard just how well Anthony Davis and LeBron James are meshing, how the Lakers supporting cast is much improved and how the coaching staff is the right fit. All of this may end up being true, but just the fact that they’re getting this type of attention is part of why the gap in the odds have closed.

Early Injuries are Key Factor

One other key reason for why the gap in the odds has narrowed is the injury to Paul George. It was assumed that the 2018-19 MVP candidate would be ready for the start of the season after he ended last season playing through his shoulder pain.

However, he’s not quite there yet and he’s actually out indefinitely.

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Officially, the Clippers have stated that he’s set to miss the first six games of the season. However, George says that he doesn’t want to rush things and that he’ll “be ready when the time comes”. That sounds a bit more ominous and maybe he misses a bit more than the first six games.

As for the Lakers, they’re dealing with the loss of Kyle Kuzma, who was injured playing for the United States team ahead of the 2019 FIBA World Cup. He’s not expected to be out a long time, but the Los Angeles Times is reporting that he’ll miss a small part of the regular season.

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While these injuries are minor, it’s worth noting that these teams will be battling for home-court advantage throughout the season, so a loss here or there early on could have a significant impact later on.

Clippers Have More Continuity

One of the reasons why I like the Clippers moreso than the Lakers is that they seem to have more continuity. Yes, it’s true that they imported two superstars and the Lakers only had to bring in one, but look at the rest of the roster and the coaching staffs.

The Clippers will bring back Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley, who were core members of the team last season. That trio was the identity of the team. As for the coaching staff, Doc Rivers and the front office have been rock-solid for years now. Beyond that, Rivers has brought teams to the Promised Land before.

New Look Lakers Face Questions

As for the Lakers, they’ve had much more turnover. Starting with the front office, it’s been a complete mess with Rob Pelinka, Magic Johnson and Jeannie Buss. Then there’s the coaching staff where it seems like the Lakers settled on Frank Vogel because they couldn’t get the guys they wanted.

The front office insisted that he add Jason Kidd to his coaching staff. Kidd is a former head coach and Vogel might feel the need to look over his shoulder.

As far as the roster is concerned, we’ve seen a ton of turnover as we know that Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart were traded away. Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard, Danny Green and Quinn Cook were brought in.

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It’s still very early but at this point, I would bet the Clippers sooner than I’d bet the Lakers. I think they’re better defensively, they have the better coaching staff and they don’t have two shooting weaknesses in the starting lineup like the Lakers do with Rajon Rondo and Dwight Howard.

Of course, the Lakers will mix it up but I’m just not convinced that this is a complete, cohesive bunch yet. I’m more inclined to trust the Clippers, who were a good team with less talent last season and have now added two low-ego superstars who should propel this team beyond what the Lakers will do this season.

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