Despite Horrific 0-2 Start, Warriors Championship Odds Fade to Just +1300
By Angelo Montilla in NBA Basketball
Updated: March 23, 2020 at 2:12 pm EDTPublished:
- Golden State was +1000 on average in the preseasonÂ
- First time in 10 years the Warriors have opened the season with two straight losses
- Clippers, Lakers remain co-favorites at +300
Following back-to-back blowout losses, the Golden State Warriors have opened the NBA season with an 0-2 record for the first time in 10 years.
The Warriors, who have won three NBA titles over a five-year span while also making the finals the other two, saw their 2019-20 championship odds just slightly fade despite the tough start.
Bookmakers released their latest 2020 NBA Championship odds, which shows the Warriors as +1300 long shots to win it all.
2019-20 NBA Championship Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles Clippers | +300 |
| Los Angeles Lakers | +300 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | +550 |
| Houston Rockets | +750 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | +750 |
| Golden State Warriors | +1300 |
Odds taken October 28th
New Look Warriors Served Reality Check
Golden State opened the season with a 19-point loss to the powerhouse Los Angeles Clippers, who are NBA championship co-favorites along with the Los Angeles Lakers at an average of +300.
The Warriors suffered another blowout loss on Sunday, dropping a 120-92 road game to the OKC Thunder.
Overall, the Warriors were outscored 261-214 in both games. It also marked the first time since the 2009-2010 season that Golden State opened with two consecutive losses.
However, despite both defeats, Golden State’s odds didn’t fall much from their average price of +1200 last week.
Is there still value in betting on the Warriors at +1300 or is the dynasty slowly coming to an end before our eyes?
Golden State’s championship odds took a massive hit in the summer when free agent forward Kevin Durant signed a max deal with the Brooklyn Nets.
When the odds first opened on June 14 — shortly after the Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals — Golden State was listed at +500.
When the 2019-20 NBA regular season tipped off, the Warriors were back to +800 and +1000 on average in the preseason.
Curry Trying to Carry the Dubs
Even though the Warriors are off to a rocky start, Stephen Curry has been solid out of the gate. Curry is averaging 23.0 points per game with a field-goal percentage of 39.5%.
The two-time NBA MVP is also averaging 10 three-point attempts per game early on while converting 2.0 three pointers per game over two games. With a career three-point percentage of 43.6%, look for Curry to start heating up for three-point range soon.
However, after Curry there is a huge drop-off in offensive production for the Warriors. D’Angelo Russell is next in scoring at 13.0 PPG, followed by rookie Eric Paschall off the bench at 12.
"Your name is the Warriors … it ain't the Golden State Punks."
—@stephenasmith 😂ðŸ˜ðŸ˜‚ pic.twitter.com/NHHmCJ7zJi
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 28, 2019
Golden State will likely be without Klay Thompson for the entire season while he recovers from a knee injury suffered in last season’s NBA Finals.
Factor in injuries to shooting guard Alec Burks, center Willie Cauley-Stein and power forward Kevon Looney, the Warriors’ title aspirations could very well take a larger hit as the season progresses.
Ten years ago today, Steph made his GSW debut. Salute to the 2x MVP. @SLAMRewind
📷: @warriors pic.twitter.com/kiG98PvmRa
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 28, 2019
Clippers, Lakers Highlight Title Favorites
On July 6 the Clippers went from +1300 long shots to +300 co-favorites. That is when Kawhi Leonard made it official that he was coming home to join the Clippers organization.
The Clippers hovered around this price and were as short as +275 leading up to the season. The Clippers opened the season with back-to-back wins but suffered their first loss to the Phoenix Suns.
That jump stop from the secondary logo to the restricted area 😳 pic.twitter.com/BE4utdY854
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 28, 2019
LeBron James and the Lakers — also at +300 — opened the season with a loss to the Clippers but rebounded with two straight wins against Utah and Charlotte.
What is the best at this point of the early season? Not the Golden State Warriors.
Injuries and other key factors will mean Golden State’s odds will likely get longer as the season moves on, putting even more pressure on Curry and Draymond Green to carry an ailing Warriors lineup.
Once the Clippers get Paul George back from injury, they will be the team to beat.
Pick: Los Angeles Clippers (+300)
Sports Writer
Angelo Montilla is a writer, visual design instructor and graphic designer based on the East Coast. As a journalism graduate, his experience in the media industry spans more than 15 years and includes work with Nation Network, SportsBreak, Featurd, Hockey Writers and the Windsor Star.
