NBA 2019 Betting Odds: Warriors, Rockets, Lakers With Best Shot To Win West After Trade Deadline?

The NBA’s Eastern Conference is packed at the top with no fewer than four teams that could feasibly win it and advance to the NBA Finals. Activity at Thursday’s trade deadline made it even more competitive, with the best teams in the conference making themselves even better before the playoffs.

The Western Conference is not quite the same. Current betting odds from Vegas Insider have the Golden State Warriors are overwhelming favorites to advance through the playoff field, just as they have done for the past four consecutive seasons. Oddsmakers give them ¼ odds to advance to the Finals once again.

Golden State is at the top of the conference standings right now, with a 2.5-game lead over the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets and Utah Jazz are tied with fifth in Vegas Insider’s odds with identical 25/1 odds to win the west.

Behind the Warriors are the Houston Rockets, who have 17/2 odds to win the Western Conference. Houston would have won the conference last year if not for a historically bad streak of missed three point shots in the conference finals. They are just 32-22 a year removed from being the top seed, but MVP favorite James Harden’s performance could put them over the edge.

The third-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder have similar 15/1 odds to win the west. They have the third-best defensive rating in the league, but are just 13th in the NBA in offensive rating. If former league MVP Russell Westbrook can get out of his shooting slump (he is hitting just 24.8 percent from three), they could be dangerous in the playoffs.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the metaphorical elephant in the room. They have the fourth-best odds to win the conference with 20/1 odds, even though they are currently in 10th place in the west with a 28-27 record.

LA has been a magnet for drama thanks to the Anthony Davis trade saga. They ended up not making any huge additions at the trade deadline, leaving LeBron James with a young core that was the center of numerous trade rumors for the past few weeks. They managed a dramatic win over the Boston Celtics this week, but at this point, the playoffs are not guaranteed for the Lakers.

Odds to win the NBA Western Conference (Vegas Insider)

Golden State Warriors 1/4

Houston Rockets 17/2

Oklahoma City Thunder 15/1

Los Angeles Lakers 20/1

Denver Nuggets 25/1

Utah Jazz 25/1

San Antonio Spurs 40/1

Portland Trail Blazers 100/1

Minnesota Timberwolves 300/1

Dallas Mavericks 500/1

New Orleans Pelicans 500/1

Sacramento Kings 500/1

Los Angeles Clippers 1000/1

Memphis Grizzlies 5000/1