Bookmakers set Golden State Warriors as early 2023 NBA title favorites
Sherman set the Golden State Warriors as a competitive 8/1 preseason choice to win this year’s title, a mission that went fulfilled on the parquet floor of Boston, with Curry scoring 34 points in the series-sealing, 103-90 Game 6 triumph.
This time around, Sherman has made the Warriors the 6/1 favorite to win next year’s NBA title, with the Los Angeles Clippers (7/1) and the returning-finalist Celtics even with Eastern Conference rivals Milwaukee and Brooklyn both at 8/1
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Tipico Sportsbook on Friday posted the Warriors as the +480 favorite, followed by Boston at +600, Brooklyn at +650 and the Clippers at +700.
A Caesars Sportsbook bettor in Colorado put $10,000 on the Warriors to repeat even before the NBA Finals were underway.
"In the anticipation of (Golden State betting) support off wining the ring, the combination of those three stalwarts (Curry, Green and Klay Thompson), the new, young core (including Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins), the return (from) injury of (7-foot 2020 No. 2 overall pick) James Wiseman, this team has the potential to actually improve upon what it just accomplished," Sherman said.
While LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers remain respected 20/1 longshots after naming a new coach in Darvin Ham and positioning for the unknowns of free-agency activity, the rival Clippers are slotted as the Superbook’s second choice mostly because of the impending return of 2019 NBA champion Kawhi Leonard from the ACL injury that kept him from playing this past season.
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While Leonard was seeking to play if the Clippers lasted another playoff round, he’s already fully engaged in offseason workouts and is expected to be in prime condition for the first regular-season tip.
The Clippers’ acquisitions of forwards Norman Powell and Robert Covington to enhance head coach Ty Lue’s scoring and defense, respectively, affirm a team that received increased leadership from Paul George and Reggie Jackson last season.
You saw how close they were to going up 3-1 in this last series," he said, reminding that the Bucks’ are in wait-and-see mode on the health of Khris Middleton (knee) after he missed Game 7 against Boston, and that Brooklyn, too, will see if the integration of Ben Simmons takes.
"We’ll see what (Simmons, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving) do as a unit. There was no reason to go too high on them," Sherman said.
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Yet, Caesars bettors are unimpressed, turning away from last year's preseason favorite and making them the 11th most popular NBA future ticket.
The former Western Conference No. 1-seeded Phoenix Suns have already dropped out of 10/1 position to 12/1 following their 123-90 blowout home loss to the Dallas Mavericks (15/1 at Tipico) in the Western Conference semifinals.
The perception of them … there’s a bad taste from how they went out, getting drubbed at home, and there’s the question of what happens to (free agent center) Deandre Ayton," Sherman said. "I don’t see people running to the windows on them.
As for the effect of Thursday’s NBA draft, with Tipico slotting Auburn power forward Jabari Smith Jr. as the -160 favorite to be the first choice of the Orlando Magic and Gonzaga’s 7-foot center Chet Holmgren the +125 second choice apparently bound for Oklahoma City, Sherman calls it "a non-starter."
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The draft won’t have any effect on the odds," Sherman said, with Tipico slotting both the Magic and Thunder as 500/1 picks. "None of these teams who land the top draft picks will move … those numbers were made in anticipation of the draft
BEY BEATS BUZZER WITH 3, PISTONS BEAT WARRIORS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The final play had been drawn for Bojan Bogdanovic, then Saddiq Bey suddenly found the ball in his hands with no time to think, so he just let it fly.
Bey hit a 3-pointer falling backward as time expired after Golden State's Klay Thompson tied it on a 3 with 2.3 seconds left, sending the Detroit Pistons past the Warriors 122-119 on Wednesday night.
It was tough, I don't even remember I kind of blacked out a little bit,Bey said. I had one second so I didn't have that much time to think, so I had to shoot it so I'm just grateful it went in.
