LeBron James will sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers, returning to his hometown after leaving them for the Miami Heat in the summer of 2010.
This move instantly makes the Cavaliers the NBA Championship favorite at +350, according to the latest odds at America’s Bookie, ahead of defending champion Spurs (+450) and Thunder (+550).
James’ decision to return to the Cavaliers has been one of the most anticipated moves in all of sports, and it has influenced how oddsmakers view the teams. Las Vegas sportsbooks moved the Cavs from as high as +3500 to win the NBA Championship to +700 before the announcement, and now many sportsbooks there dropped them to +450 as well, with the Spurs installed as the overall favorite at +400. The Thunder are third on the board at +700.
Online sportsbooks have done the same since James opted out of his deal with the Heat. The Cavaliers jumped from +6000 to +800 in that span, and some expected a move as low as +300 now that James has announced his intentions. But while LeBron’s recent decision shakes the foundations of the NBA, one has to wonder if Cleveland has what it takes to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy next season, as it seems that they still need to add a couple more pieces to build a Championship team.
The Cavaliers still have a lot of questions on their roster, even with James, and it takes time for teams to gel. They might roll through the Eastern Conference like the Heat did for the last four seasons, unless Carmelo Anthony signs with the Chicago Bulls, but they will be big underdogs against any number of teams out of the Western Conference, including the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The losing team in all these is the Miami Heat, who were a +250 favorite to win the NBA Championship with James returning. The Heat are now at +1500 to win the title next season, with Chris Bosh expected to leave for the Rockets and Dwyane Wade likely to find a new home as well.
Below are the complete odds to win the 2014/15 NBA Championship at America’s Bookie:
Atlanta Hawks +7500
Boston Celtics +8500
Brooklyn Nets +7500
Charlotte Hornets +7500
Chicago Bulls +700
Cleveland Cavaliers +350
Dallas Mavericks +4500
Denver Nuggets +5000
Detroit Pistons +25000
Golden State Warriors +2000
Houston Rockets +700
Indiana Pacers +1550
Los Angeles Clippers +950
Los Angeles Lakers +5000
Memphis Grizzlies +4500
Miami Heat +1500
Milwaukee Bucks +30000
Minnesota Timberwolves +12500
New Orleans Pelicans +5500
New York Knicks +5000
Oklahoma City Thunder +550
Orlando Magic +25000
Philadelphia 76ers +40000
Phoenix Suns +5000
Portland Trail Blazers +3500
Sacramento Kings +25000
San Antonio Spurs +450
Toronto Raptors +5000
Utah Jazz +25000
Washington Wizards +4000
