Sports betting: NBA Finals feature another long shot, the Celtics
It's adding insult to injury for Philadelphia fans to have to watch the Celtics and Rangers vie for trophies.
It’s got to be nauseating for Philadelphia sports fans to see the Celtics in the NBA Finals. And having the Rangers still alive in the NHL’s Final Four doesn’t help.
What’s also disappointing was the lost opportunity to cash in on Boston’s run at the betting window. The Celtics were 40-1 in the preseason to win the championship. On Feb. 1, when they were in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, they were 66-1 at BetMGM.
According to SportsOddsHistory.com, long shots were hard to come by from 1984-2018. While the rest of the United States could only watch as Nevada monopolized legalized sports betting, just three NBA teams who were 30-1 or worse in the preseason made it to the Finals: Portland in 1991 (35-1), New Jersey in 2002 (60-1), and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008 (30-1).
It has happened three times alone in the last three years — Miami in 2020 (60-1), Phoenix in 2021 (40-1), and now Boston.
The sportsbooks, especially in Vegas, are generally thrilled with the Boston-Golden State matchup. On Oct. 19, when the season began, the majority of futures action at most ‘books was on the Lakers to come out of the West and Brooklyn to emerge from the East. Los Angeles, which had 37% of the bets at FanDuel as of opening night, finished 16 games under .500. Meanwhile, Brooklyn (14% of bets) was swept in the first round by the Celtics.
Ed Salmons of the Westgate sportsbook said a few months ago that “people who are betting on the Lakers must not have seen them play.” Hilarious.
The Warriors were on 11% of FanDuel’s title tickets when the season started. Boston was on 2%.
So all that local basketball fans can do is root for the Warriors, who moved from Philadelphia to California after the 1961-62 season. But at least one local sportsbook is hoping the series goes the other way.
“I will definitely need the Celtics,” said Tom Gable, head of Borgata’s ‘book in Atlantic City. “We took a $125K wager on the Warriors at +360 back on April 21 to win the title.”
That would bring home a tidy $450,000. Let’s go Warriors.
BetMGM championship odds
Start of season: Golden State +900, Boston +4000
Jan. 1: Golden State +450, Boston +6600
All-Star break: Golden State +425, Boston +2500
Start of playoffs: Golden State +1000, Boston +750
As of Tuesday: Golden State -160, Boston +130
Finals MVP
Boston’s Marcus Smart has longer odds to be the Finals MVP today than he had at the start of the playoffs. Here’s a look at the top contenders:
DraftKings, start of playoffs: Devin Booker +550, Giannis Antetokounmpo +600, Chris Paul +650, Kevin Durant +900, Steph Curry +1100, Jayson Tatum +1500, Jaylen Brown +2200, Marcus Smart +3500, Klay Thompson +3500, Draymond Green +5500.
DraftKings, Tuesday: Steph Curry +110, Jayson Tatum +170, Jaylen Brown +1100, Klay Thompson +1500, Draymond Green +1800, Marcus Smart +4500.
This & that
NFL: Circa Resort and Casino put up NFL win totals this week with a $10,000 limit on the standard number and $3,000 limits on the alternates. The Eagles’ standard line of 9.5 was -105 over and -115 under. The alternate line of 8.5 was -210 over/+180 under. At 10.5 wins, the lines were +195 over/-225 under. Their fair prices and listed limits often endear them to sharp bettors.
NBA: Caesars is up already with odds for next season’s NBA title, and the Sixers are 17-1. The Warriors, favored at 4-1, already have a $10,000 bet laid on them. Seems like a long time to tie up 10Gs.
NCAA baseball: Rutgers getting left out of the NCAA Tournament may have been a disappointment up the Turnpike, but you’ll not hear sportsbooks in New Jersey complain. Many novice bettors, including those who might take a shot on Rutgers, wouldn’t have been able to bet the Scarlet Knights within the state of New Jersey because it’s prohibited. Remember the St. Peter’s calamity?
NCAA baseball: Tennessee, which led the nation in ERA (2.35), is +250 at FanDuel to win the NCAA Tournament, which begins Friday. Stanford (+600), Oregon State (+800), and Virginia Tech (+1200) are next. Georgia, the last team to beat Tennessee, is +8000.
And finally
Sawbuck, an Irish jump-racer, must have seen Rich Strike’s 81-1 win at the Kentucky Derby and said, “Hold my Guinness.”
The 4-year-old who had never finished better than seventh, was 300-1 when he won the first race at Punchestown in County Kildare last week. He was backed by just 28 bettors at the William Hill shop, which accounted for 0.14% of the action on the race, according to the Irish Mirror.
The field was a typically robust 22 horses full and the exacta, with Bellybawn Belter running second, paid 837.80 euros, or $899.13.
When Rich Strike pulled his mighty upset at the Kentucky Derby on May 7, the exacta with Epicenter paid $4,101.20.
Sawbuck’s 300-1 win equaled the Irish/British record held by He Knows No Fear, who pulled his stunner in 2020 at Leopardstown outside Dublin.