Though the Los Angeles Lakers were unable to avoid the play-in portion of this year’s postseason, oddsmakers are still giving them solid odds to successfully defend their NBA title.
The Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night and can advance into the traditional portion of the postseason with a win. A loss makes that path more difficult.
The fact that the Lakers have been given the second-best odds of all the teams competing in this year’s playoffs is likely a nod to the fact that both LeBron James and Anthony Davis are back in the team’s lineup.
After the Lakers’ Feb. 12 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, they held a record of 21-6 and appeared to be rolling.
However, Davis went down with an injury in the next game and was out for an extended period of time. That absence was then magnified by the loss of James to a high ankle sprain in March.
The Lakers limped to the finish line in the regular season, though their five-game winning streak to close out the season surely inspired some confidence.
There are certainly no guarantees for the upcoming postseason, but the Lakers would very much like to make the oddsmakers look good by eventually defending their crown in the 2021 NBA Finals.
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