The Los Angeles Lakers are currently sitting in 13th position of the NBA’s Western Conference, two games out of the play-in round with 30 games left to play.
The good news is that Anthony Davis has returned to the lineup, and the team is about a week away from getting Austin Reaves back. The bad news is that the Lakers are at the bottom of a group of six teams vying for four play-in spots.
LeBron James is now 38 years old and edging closer to the end of his career. The question being asked here is, should LeBron James consider a move away from the Lakers and move to a team that is more likely to win at the end of this season?
James Odds to Leave
Handicapping LeBron James leaving the Lakers isn’t easy, and just a few sportsbooks have odds available. According to Ikasaman in Japan (ブックメーカー日本), the odds of LeBron James staying with the Lakers into next season far outweigh his leaving. This, of course, hasn’t changed the overall outlook regarding betting odds.
Closer Review of the Odds
LeBron James is currently priced at +175 in American/moneyline odds to start next season at the Lakers, which means he has a 36.40% chance of not moving. If you’re not too familiar with American/moneyline odds, +175 odds is the same as saying 2.75 in European decimal odds and 1.75/1 in UK fractional odds.
The odds of him joining another rival NBA team are as follows:
- Golden State Warriors: +250 (which is 3.50, or 2.5/1), with a 28.60% implied probability rate of joining this team
- Cleveland Cavaliers: +400 (5.00, or 4/1), with a 20.00% chance of joining
- Dallas Mavericks: +750 (8.50, or 7.5/1), with an 11.80% chance of joining
- Los Angeles Clippers: +1,000 (11.00, or 10/1), with a 9.10% chance of joining
- San Antonio Spurs: +1,200 (13.00, or 12/1), with a 7.70% chance of joining
- Phoenix Suns: +1,500 (16.00, or 15./1), with a 6.30% chance of joining
There’s also a very slim chance he could join Miami Heat (+2,000, 21.00, or 20/1), the Philadelphia 76ers (+2,000, 21.00, or 20/1), the New York Knicks (+2,500, 26.00, or 25/1), the Memphis Grizzlies (+3,000, 31.00, or 30/1), or the Charlotte Hornets (+3,000, 31.00, or 30/1).
Odds to Win NBA Championship
If you’re looking to place a real money wager on which team might win the 2022/23 NBA Championship outright, the Boston Celtics are the current odds-on favorite at 400 (5.00, or 4/1), with a 20.00% implied probability rate of winning.
The second joint-odds-on favorite teams to win are the Denver Nuggets and the Milwaukee Bucks. These two teams are priced at 600 (7.00, or 6/1), with a 14.30% implied probability rate. You then have the Brooklyn Nets, the Golden State Warriors, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Los Angeles Clippers. In other words, a safe bet right now would be to put your money on the Boston Celtics.
The LA Lakers are only the 14th odds-on favorite at 6,000 (61.00, or 60/1), with only a 1.60% chance of winning.
Gambling Notes
When placing a real money wager on any upcoming NBA matches, understanding the different odds formats and how the different betting markets are priced is critical.
Gambling sensibly/responsibly means not placing bets with long odds that are NOT likely to return you a profit. It also means never chasing your losses or spending more money than you can afford.
Stay updated with the latest NBA basketball news because this can also help you place more strategic bets. Don’t ever gamble just out of sheer necessity; remember to withdraw some of your winnings from time to time. Try not to spend all day gambling; remember that gambling is supposed to be fun.
In other words, don’t give up your day job to gamble to make an income. Don’t even think of gambling as a way to make a side income. Finally, the golden rule to remember when gambling online for real money is that no bets are guaranteed, no matter how certain the odds seem.
