Los Angeles Lakers Drop Advantage In NBA Title Odds After Subpar Seeding Games Performance

The Los Angeles Lakers have lost their edge in the odds to win the NBA title this year. Following an underwhelming showing in the seeding games inside the Orlando bubble, some bookmakers are coerced to drag the Lakers down to join the Clippers and the Milwaukee Bucks at relatively even prices in the race for the Larry O’Brien.

The odds when the NBA suspended the season in March showed the Lakers were clear-cut favorites to win the championship. But a dismal 3-5 record since the restart significantly hurt the Purple and Gold’s superior tag in the gaming world as betting companies now deem the league title to be up for grabs among the two L.A. teams and the Bucks.

Each of the three teams is pegged at +250 to go all the way, according to theScore Bet. The seeding games have been a telling factor in the latest betting shake-up as 11 of the 16 remaining playoff teams saw their title odds take a shift based on their performance in the bubble.

The Houston Rockets are the closest team to trail the Lakers, Clippers, and Bucks with odds set at +1300. The Boston Celtics and defending champions Toronto Raptors are likewise on the aggressive chase in the list with odds offered at +1200 and +1500, respectively.

The Orlando Magic and the Brooklyn Nets, meanwhile, are tagged as underdogs with each team attached to a +25000-championship odds price.

The expectation on the Lakers had been off the charts that their horrific display at Disney World has caused a significant move, not only in the title odds but on the betting lines for their first-round playoff series against the Damian Lillard-spirited Portland Trail Blazers, who are coming off a gritty pursuit of the eighth and last postseason spot in the Western Conference.

"(The Lakers’ recent performance) affect(s) their rating and their perception, because people are enthralled by Portland in this series," said Jeff Sherman of Westgate Las Vegas’ Superbook, per ESPN.

While the Lakers are still favorites to win the series at -450, betting analysts claim that the discrepancy in odds could have been more lopsided if the LeBron James-led squad had capped the regular season on a high note.

The Trail Blazers, on the other hand, will try to bank on the hype despite their underdog tag (+360) as Game One of the series tips off on Tuesday still inside the Florida bubble.

The Lakers hope to draw some inspiration from the late, great Kobe Bryant. They will wear "Black Mamba" uniforms if they advance to the second round.