The NBA made us watch inferior entertainment as we all had to wait three days into the regular season to see the debut of LeBron James with the Los Angeles Lakers, and we shall see tonight whether it was worth the wait.
Odds are: Yes.
Because this is where what would be one of the most improbable journeys to the NBA Finals might begin, at the Rose Garden in Portland in a nationally televised TNT game. LeBron has been to eight straight championship rounds, and people who think he can’t make it nine risk underestimating how special of a player James is.
One thing to remember on Opening Night, and it is a theme I have been hitting on throughout the summer and into the fall: What the Lakers look now vs. what they look like on March 1 are not necessarily the same thing.
There are more than three months until the NBA trade deadline, and it is not out of the question that Anthony Davis or Kawhi Leonard or some other superstar is running alongside The King by the time the playoffs roll around. (If you missed the news on Davis, he wants to go to Los Angeles, Boston, New York or Philadelphia if the Pelicans can’t make things work over the course of the season, their 131-112 victory over Houston notwithstanding.)
But for now, the men in gold and purple are what they are, roster-wise. And at this point, their over/under is 48 1/2 wins (Portland’s is 42) — with a ton of sharp money coming in on the under.
Say what you want about “sharps” betting against LeBron, but the folks who know the sports gambling industry well know where the smart money is and where the stupid money is. And until someone proves them wrong, their definition of a sharp may not fit yours. Got that Lakers Nation?
For tonight, there are several Lakers-Trail Blazers prop bets on the board, none of which offers an extreme level of payoff in terms of individual achievements.
The over/under on LeBron’s points is 30.5. Rebounds are 8.5, and assists are 6.5. There is a prop on points for Rajon Rondo (7.5) and a bunch of props on Trail Blazers players listed below (click on the box to wager).
One interesting option is an interesting wager with better payoffs if you can nail two things: Who is winning at halftime, and who will win the game.
This is called a Double Result. In the chart below (also clickable), it show that the best odds, 25-1, are for the game to be tied at halftime with the Lakers winning.
Hey, those are those who root for ties (think Mets fans during a Yankees-Red Sox game).
The Lakers remain 12-1 to win the NBA championship.
