Warriors’ 2019 NBA Championship Odds Still Listed at -175 After Taking 2-0 Lead vs Rockets

• The Golden State Warriors’ NBA Championship odds have not improved despite taking a 2-0 lead over the Houston Rockets
• The Warriors have won two straight championships and have reached the Western Conference Finals in each of the last four years
• Golden State has unlocked a new gear with Andre Iguodala back in the starting lineup

The Warriors are going to have to do more than take a 2-0 lead over the Rockets to win over the oddsmakers.

The online sportsbook hasn’t budged on Golden State’s -175 NBA Championship odds despite the fact that Steve Kerr’s club is just two wins away from advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the fifth consecutive season.

2019 NBA Championship Odds

*Odds taken on 05/01/19

Warriors’ Flaws Were Exposed in First-Round

The Warriors are still the odds-on favorites to win the title this June, but oddsmakers are reluctant to anoint them as champions just yet after Golden State needed six games to knock off the Los Angeles Clippers in the first-round of the NBA Playoffs. After failing to close out LA in Game 5, their odds were the worst they had been all season.

Sweet Lou (33 PTS & 10 AST) was HUGE for the @LAClippers to secure Game 5 & take it back to Staples! ??#ClipperNation | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/vWQu0UkGJj

— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 25, 2019

That series featured a pair of shocking home losses as the Warriors struggled to match the Clippers’ balls-to-the-wall intensity. Professional irritant Patrick Beverly was particularly effective at disrupting Kevin Durant’s flow as he beat him his preferred spots and made life miserable for the former MVP with his relentless ball hounding.

Set the tone. @patbev21‘s game 5:
▪️ 17 points
▪️ 14 boards
▪️ 5 threes
▪️ 4 assists pic.twitter.com/0mtmY6XBxT

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) April 25, 2019

LA’s bench mob also repeatedly outscored Golden State’s reserves thanks to the one-two punch of Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell.

Kevin Durant and Lou Williams trading haymakers pic.twitter.com/e3u1wlwLUX

— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) April 25, 2019

The series was never really in doubt given the Warriors’ clear talent advantage, but it did underscore their tendency to overlook opponents and their worrisome knack for going into cruise control during long stretches of the game. To the delight of high school coaches from coast to coast, the Clippers proved that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

Warriors Are Still Elite… When They Want to Be

In spite of their foibles, the Warriors have still looked like the best team on the planet throughout much of the playoffs. They outscored the Clippers by 17.8 points per game in their four first-round wins, and have held the Rockets to 104.5 points per game in the second-round.

Golden State ranks first among all playoff teams in offensive rating, points, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, true-shooting percentage, and assists.

All told, Golden State ranks first among all playoff teams in offensive rating, points, field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage, true-shooting percentage, and assists. Not bad for a team that has sleepwalked through much of the postseason.

Golden State Has Brought Its A-Game Against Houston

The Warriors appear to have slapped some cold water on their faces against Houston as they’ve been far more focused and energized. That was especially true in Game 2 as Golden State forced Houston into 18 turnovers and controlled the interior, winning the war on the glass 52-47 and outscoring the Rockets 42-36 in the paint.

This guy Andre Iguodala was really hiding in the crowd ?pic.twitter.com/P0l21EK346

— The Crossover (@TheCrossover) May 1, 2019

The Warriors were hoping to have DeMarcus Cousins for this series, but his absence has led to more opportunities for Andre Iguodala, and he hasn’t disappointed. The former Finals MVP has averaged 15 points over the last two games while displaying the kind of springs we haven’t seen from him in years. Iggy’s floor-spacing and willingness to facilitate have helped the Warriors to unlock a new gear.

No Team Has Been Perfect

While it’s true that the Warriors have looked vulnerable at times, the same can be said of every remaining playoff contender. Denver is inexperienced, Portland and Philly are banged up, and Milwaukee, Toronto, and Boston have all displayed wild bouts of inconsistency since the postseason began.

Klay (21 PTS) & Steph (20 PTS) helped the @warriors take Game 2 at home! ?#StrengthInNumbers #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/em9EwZJ6tM

— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 1, 2019

In lieu of a legitimate threat, it makes sense to continue siding with the two-time defending champs. Hop on Golden State’s -175 odds before they get much, much shorter.

Pick: Golden State (-175)