Mavericks’ Gamble For Kyrie Irving Shakes Up Betting Boards
Dallas had its prices slashed while Brooklyn went the other way
The Dallas Mavericks rolled the dice in acquiring Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday afternoon, and oddsmakers took notice of the gamble like the rest of the NBA.
Seeing how Irving requested a trade from the Nets two days prior, it wouldn't be fair to say the reported deal sent shockwaves through the league. However, given the All-NBA talent just left the fourth-seeded team in the Eastern Conference and joined the Western Conference's sixth seed, it made for what could be a title-altering blockbuster.
Betting boards at a majority of sportsbooks have been dealt a shake up.
Among them, DraftKings Sportsbook moved the Mavericks from 30-1 to 12-1 to win the NBA championship. FanDuel Sportsbook went a similar route and moved Dallas from 19-1 to 14-1 after the news was first reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania. PointsBet Sportsbook also slashed Dallas' prices and moved the Mavs from 12-1 to 6-1 to win the Western Conference and notably moved them from 14-1 to +650 to win the Southwest Division. FanDuel also has Dallas +550 to win the conference, which are the fifth-best prices of any team in the West.
On the other hand, the Nets went from 10-1 to 18-1 to win the NBA title on Caesars Sportsbook. DraftKings on Friday, after the news of Irving's trade request, moved Brooklyn from 7-1 to 14-1 to win the championship. As of Sunday evening, the Nets are 20-1 to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the 10th-best odds of any team.
One specific loser of the Irving trade, the Los Angeles Lakers, also were dealt a change. LA had multiple conversations with the Nets about the eight-time NBA All-Star before Brooklyn traded Irving to Dallas, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. So given the Lakers were viewed as a contender for Irving and missed out on him, LA ballooned from 50-1 to 80-1 the last two days, the timeline portraying when Irving requested the trade to when he was traded.
The Boston Celtics, who might be seen as one of the winners to Irving's trade given that he's out of the Eastern Conference, remain atop the betting board to win the NBA Finals.
