Heading into the weekend, a couple of the NBA Finals favorites have been hit with key injuries, and the odds reflect the impact that may have.
Phoenix and Milwaukee were favored to win their respective conferences before the playoffs began, while the Suns were the overall favorite for the championship.
Now, with Devin Booker out 2-3 weeks (and possibly more considering it’s a hamstring injury) and Kris Middleton sidelined for at least the remainder of the Bulls series, the Suns and Bucks have seen their odds worsen immensely.
SportsBetting initially made Milwaukee a -1000 to advance past Round 1 and Phoenix -2500, meaning both had greater than a 90 percent chance to move on.
Here are the book’s current odds with each series tied 1-1, and the lingering injuries in mind:
Bulls +230
Bucks -275
(Odds imply a 73.3 percent probability Bucks advance)
Pelicans +265
Suns -315
(Odds imply a 75.9 percent probability Suns advance)
Both teams are favored by around 2 points on the road tonight. The Suns would be 5.5- to 6-point favorites with Booker in the lineup while the Bucks would be -4 or -4.5 with Middleton.
Additionally, the Bucks now have the third-best odds in the East while the Suns have slipped to second in the West behind Golden State.
Here are those updated odds from the OffshoreInsiders.com approved sportsbook!
NBA Finals
Warriors +275
Boston Celtics +450
Phoenix Suns +475
Miami Heat +700
Milwaukee Bucks +800
Memphis Grizzlies +1000
Philadelphia 76ers +1000
Brooklyn Nets +2200
Dallas Mavericks +2500
Utah Jazz +4000
New Orleans Pelicans +8000
Chicago Bulls +10000
Timberwolves +20000
Atlanta Hawks +50000
Denver Nuggets +50000
Toronto Raptors +75000
Eastern Conference
Boston Celtics +185
Miami Heat +250
Milwaukee Bucks +400
Philadelphia 76ers +450
Brooklyn Nets +1100
Chicago Bulls +5000
Atlanta Hawks +25000
Toronto Raptors +40000
Western Conference
Warriors +125
Phoenix Suns +225
Memphis Grizzlies +450
Dallas Mavericks +900
Utah Jazz +1600
New Orleans Pelicans +5000
Timberwolves +10000
Denver Nuggets +25000