Game 1 of the 2020 NBA Finals couldn’t have gone much worse for the Miami Heat. Already a sizable underdog, the Heat lost both Bam Adebayo and Goran Dragic to injury, and will be missing two starts on Friday night for Game 2. Jimmy Butler, meanwhile, suffered a rolled ankle, but will be able to play.
As a result, the Lakers’ betting odds to win the NBA title shifted massively following the 116-98 Game 1 win.
At BetMGM, the Lakers were listed as -358 title favorites on the morning of Game 1, with the Heat listed at +300 underdogs.
Entering Game 2, the Lakers are -1250 favorites, while the Heat are +800.
That means that if you were to bet $100 on the Lakers to win the series, you would be paid out just $108. A $100 bet on the Heat would payout $900.
In the race for Finals MVP, LeBron James is listed at -176, and Anthony Davis is an attractive option at +200. Davis had 34 points, 9 rebounds and three blocks in the Game 1 win, while James had a near triple-double with 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists.
[UPDATE]: After winning Game 2, the Lakers are now -5000 favorites to win the series. LeBron James is still a -176 favorite to win Finals MVP, while Anthony Davis has moved to +145.
We occasionally recommend interesting products, services, and gaming opportunities. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. FTW operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
[vertical-gallery id=950787]
[jwplayer Xqv25y2A-q2aasYxh]