Lakers News: Los Angeles Is Overwhelming Favorite To Make Playoffs In 2019-2020 NBA Season

The Los Angeles Lakers have missed the playoffs in six straight years. It’ll come as a shock if that streak extends to seven.

According to the latest betting odds, the Lakers are extremely heavy favorites to earn a playoff spot in the 2019-2020 NBA season. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the roster, L.A. has -1400 to reach the postseason.

Four teams in the Western Conference have better playoff odds than the Lakers. Three teams in the Eastern Conference have better than -1400 playoff odds.

Only the Los Angeles Clippers have better odds than the Lakers to win the 2020 NBA Finals, per OddsShark, at most sportsbooks.

The Lakers posted their best record since 2013 last season, going 37-45. The team fell short of expectations as James was limited to just 55 games in his first season with Los Angeles.

A 20-14 start to the 2018-2019 season wasn’t enough to keep the Lakers in contention when James suffered a groin injury on Christmas Day. It was the first time in 14 years that James missed the playoffs.

If James misses any significant time in the upcoming season, the Lakers will be able to rely on another superstar. Los Angeles traded Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart and draft picks for Davis, who finished third in the 2018 NBA MVP race.

The Lakers’ roster will look much different next season. James and Kyle Kuzma are the only regular starters from a year ago that are expected to be back in the starting lineup on opening night.

DeMarcus Cousins was thought to be the Lakers’ likely starting center, but the free-agent addition probably won’t play a game for Los Angeles after tearing his ACL this summer. Danny Green, the Los Angeles’ biggest addition in free agency, will likely be the team’s starting shooting guard.

With so many stars changing teams, the NBA is more wide open than it has been in years. Only two teams in the West have worse than 5/1 odds to make the playoffs.

The Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers both have noticeably worse playoff odds than the Lakers after meeting in the Western Conference Finals. The Denver Nuggets are just ahead of the Lakers with -1700 playoff odds after posting the West’s second-best record.

The Clippers are considered to be a virtual playoff lock with -5000 playoff odds. The team added NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and All-NBA First Team selection Paul George, in addition to keeping key players like Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell.