NBA Bettors Firing On Luka Doncic, Mavericks After Kyrie Irving Trade
Doncic should benefit from Irving's arrival in Dallas
The Dallas Mavericks needed to provide Luka Doncic with a star-caliber complement and the organization did just that Sunday as it traded with the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving. Irving's arrival in Dallas gives Doncic the best player he's played with during his four-plus year career.
If all goes right, the Mavericks very well could have two of the best offensive players in the league. Many are already thinking about the potential of the on-court partnership and what it could mean both for individual and team accolades. The Western Conference, after all, is wide open with the No. 3 Sacramento Kings and No. 13 Los Angeles Lakers currently separated by five games two weeks before the NBA All-Star break.
It's prompted bettors to fire on Dallas to win the NBA championship over the last 24 hours.
Since Sunday's trade for Irving, 39% of the tickets on the NBA champion have been on the Mavericks. That's a notable trend. The Mavericks previously represented just 2.9% of title bets though Sunday's influx of tickets surely will increase that number. Of note, this doesn't mean the Mavericks now represent 42% of overall tickets. Instead, four of every 10 bettors to approach the window Sunday into Monday placed a bet on Dallas.
Similarly, the trade for Irving helped Doncic gain backing to win NBA MVP. Of the NBA MVP tickets to come into BetMGM since Sunday's deal, the 23-year-old represents 24% of them. Doncic already was the most popular ticket as BetMGM revealed last week that 18% of the tickets to win the award were on the three-time All-NBA talent.
Doncic currently is 7-1 to win MVP at a majority of sportsbooks, including both BetMGM and DraftKings Sportsbook. Doncic is behind only Denver Nuggets two-time reigning MVP Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid and he has the same prices as Milwaukee Bucks two-time winner Giannis Antetokounmpo.
