Maybe the oddsmakers in Las Vegas somehow don’t know about DeAndre Jordan’s fickle flip-flop. Or perhaps we’re underestimating the Mavs’ moves in the wake of being dissed by their free-agent target.
Something’s up, because a team that I – and most NBA fans – feel will struggle to avoid the Lottery in 2016 actually is being giving decent odds of flirting with a championship.
As we head into the NBA’s dormant period of August, the Mavericks sit with 50/1 odds of winning next year’s title. Fittingly that’s well behind favorites such as the Cavaliers and Spurs (3/1) and Warriors (5/1). And, trust me, 50/1 is a long shot. The peculiar point though is that Vegas gives only 11 teams better odds to win it all than Dallas.
That means that while some realistic Mavs fans are already scouring the 2016 NBA draft class, the wise guys in the desert are predicting their team will be better than middle-of-the pack, finishing ahead of approximately 20 of the league’s 30 teams.
The Bucks, Raptors, Pacers and Wizards are all given the same odds as the Mavericks. According to the current odds, Las Vegas totally expects the Mavs to make the playoffs.
I don’t know. Vegas has built an empire being smart, but until I see more transactions my $1 still says the Mavs are closer to the Lottery than they are the playoffs.
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
