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Opening Spreads Released for Potential NBA Finals Between Lakers & Bucks

Sam Cox

by Sam Cox in NBA Basketball

Updated Apr 21, 2020 · 10:47 AM PDT

LeBron driving
Could the NBA return right to a Finals series between the Lakers & Bucks? (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire)
  • Opening spreads for a potential seven game NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers & Milwaukee Bucks have been released 
  • The two teams own the best records in the league and could meet in the Finals if the league is forced into a shortened playoff format
  • See the lines for each game, and whether they’re worth betting 

The Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks have dominated the NBA Championship odds over the last few months. Along with the Los Angeles Clippers, they are far clear of the rest of the league.

With the NBA suspended indefinitely, bookies are taking this opportunity to offer speculative odds on when the season could resume and what shape it might take.

Game odds for a potential NBA Finals matchup between the Lakers and Bucks have been released. The odds for each clash of a potential seven-game series can be found in the table below.

Potential 2020 NBA Finals Game Odds

Game 1 Spread
Los Angeles Lakers +4 (+100)
Milwaukee Bucks -4 (+100)
Game 2 Spread
Los Angeles Lakers +3.5 (+103)
Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 (-103)
Game 3 Spread
Milwaukee Bucks +1.5 (-102)
Los Angeles Lakers -1.5 (+102)
Game 4 Spread
Milwaukee Bucks +1 (+101)
Los Angeles Lakers -1 (-101)
Game 5 Spread
Los Angeles Lakers +4 (-101)
Milwaukee Bucks -4 (+101)
Game 6 Spread
Milwaukee Bucks +1 (+102)
Los Angeles Lakers -1 (-102)
Game 7 Spread
Los Angeles Lakers +3.5 (+103)
Milwaukee Bucks -3.5 (-103)

Odds taken Mar. 23.

Skip to the Finals

The longer the league’s suspension continues, the more inventive the NBA will have to become. Avoiding the start of the NFL season will be a priority, and players will need at least a fortnight to get prepared for game action after such a lengthy period without playing. Play-in tournaments, five-game series (and perhaps even shorter) will all be in discussions as the league look for a solution to this unprecedented scenario.

Playoff revenue is vital. Taking the top two seeds and inserting them in the Finals would not only irritate many NBA owners, it would eliminate a significant source of income for NBA broadcasters and teams.

Playing those first few series, even if shortened significantly, will be a priority for the league office.

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A Bucks-Lakers Finals is still possible with a full playoffs, of course. It was the most probable matchup before the league’s suspension, but it’s not a foregone conclusion even if the regular season is over and the playoffs are altered.

June Re-start Plausible

The odds on when the NBA will return have moved over the last couple of weeks. A return before July has become increasingly unlikely according to the betting markets, but nothing can be ruled out at this stage. Adam Silver, when speaking with Rachel Nichols last week, was open to a variety of options.

The NBA coming back in June seems ambitious at this point, and going straight to the Finals would suggest the league has been delayed further into the summer months.

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Everything is on the table, though. Silver acknowledged the importance of sport, and there’s no question the NBA will be pushing to resume as soon as reasonably possible. Playing playoff games behind closed doors, potentially at training facilities, currently seems like the most likely path for the NBA to be back on our screens.

It’s going to be a long sports-less wait for fans. It’s a good time to delve into the archives for some classic games.

Unlikely Scenario

The playoffs are where the NBA makes so much of its money. Broadcasting companies will be desperate for more than one playoff series, and the NBA will exhaust all options to fit in rounds before the Finals.

A scenario where the league returns in summer and goes straight to a Bucks-Lakers Finals matchup is a long way down the pecking order at the moment.

Bettors should be ultra-wary of wagers right now. The uncertainty is too great to make any informed betting decisions, and while there might be value in looking at when the league restarts, the NBA Finals are impossible to predict. The Bucks and Lakers have been the best teams so far this season, but we have no idea what format the rest of the campaign will take and how these teams will look upon return.

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