Don’t be fooled by the convincing 108-94 preseason victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. The Chicago Bulls are going nowhere, and oddsmakers agree.
The Bulls, along with the Knicks, Nets, Magic and Hawks, are listed with the longest odds to win the NBA championship, according to SportsBettingDime.com.
The defending champion Golden State Warriors are the odds-on-favorite to repeat at an unheard of 9-10. LeBron James and the Cavs are the second choice at a whopping 11-1. The teams are 2-1 that they’ll meet for a fourth consecutive NBA Finals.
The Celtics (12-1), Thunder (13-1) and Rockets (15-1) round out the top five favorites.
Kwahi Leonard is the 7-2 favorite to win the league MVP. Lonzo Ball (5-2) is the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. Anthony Davis is the 4-1 favorite to lead the league in scoring.
No Bulls players make the cut on any of the awards or leaders list, but the team makes one: The Bulls are the 5-2 favorite to have the NBA’s worst record. In addition, Fred Hoiberg is the 4-1 second-choice to be fired, just behind the Knicks’ Jeff Hornacek at 7-2.
SportsBettingDime.com has posted several interesting props, but this is definitely the most fascinating: The over/under on the number of games before LaVar Ball criticizes Lakers coach Luke Walton is 15.5. Some free advice — take the under and run to the bank.