NBA Betting Insights: Bulls, Nets, and Lakers In or Out of Playoffs?
Coming out of the All-Star break, the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and Brooklyn Nets are three popular picks to miss the playoffs. The Bulls and Lakers sit outside of the playoff picture looking in, while the Nets are the number five seed in the Eastern Conference.
A lot has changed for these three franchises of late, which factors into how they’re viewed.
Playoff Odds Most Bet Teams @ BetMGM
- Chicago Bulls
- Detroit Pistons
- Los Angeles Lakers
Most Bet to Miss the Playoffs @ BetMGM
- Chicago Bulls
- Brooklyn Nets
- Los Angeles Lakers
The Chicago Bulls have talented players in Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, but the pieces haven’t meshed. The absence of point guard Lonzo Ball and his presence on both ends of the court has played a major factor. Their six straight losses have them in 11th place in the East.
The Bulls had +250 odds to miss the postseason when the lines opened, but that’s now been shifted to -210, demonstrating how much this team has underachieved. Bettors have not been bullish on their chances, with 95% of tickets and 95% of the handle on Chicago missing the playoffs.
Along with the Bulls, the Brooklyn Nets were also a popular pick to miss the postseason. Amid the uncertainty, they got off to a good start before their star talent requested trades. The books have to be happy about their direction. Brooklyn opened at +300 to miss the playoffs and now sits at +800.
Even without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Nets have a nice buffer on the playoff cut line, which had seen 100% of tickets and 100% of the handle on the Nets missing the playoffs.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers also saw a lack of support in the form of bets on LA to miss the postseason again. The Lakers had +230 odds of missing the playoffs at the start of the season, but that number has shifted to -250.
LeBron and company have seen 91% of tickets for 98% of the handle in favor of them missing the playoffs, signaling some sizable bets directed that way.
