The oddsmakers over at Bovada have dropped the Indiana Pacers down again, this time to 100/1 odds to win the title.
The Indiana Pacers are currently at 100/1 (a 1% chance) over at Bovada if you are in the betting mood, a drop from 75/1 in December.
So you’re saying there is a chance?
At 50/1 (2%), the Pacers have a slightly better chance of winning the Eastern Conference.
Despite Indiana starting to get some stability in their rotations, the Pacers odds are the lowest they have been all season. They’ve even taken Paul George off the board as an MVP bet.
This is just a cruel reminder of how tough it is to win in the NBA.
Outside of the Golden State Warriors at 4/5 (55.6%), and the Cleveland Cavaliers at 5/2 (28.6%), no one has better than a 10% chance according to Bovada.
Unlike other sports that have certain factors that are more likely to upset probability — a few bad turnovers in a football game, having a hot-handed pitcher or goalie in baseball and hockey — the NBA basketball is a grind. You have to win 16 times in the playoffs to win a title.
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Making a shot in basketball isn’t something that happens by accident. Outside of full-court shots and when there is less than a second left, there isn’t really a play in basketball where you just throw the ball at the basket and hope for the best.
Long odds are just a reminder of how hard it is to earn a title in the NBA. One good game over a better team doesn’t send them packing. You have to beat them three more times if you want to even win that series. The best teams rise to the top, and the ones with flaws get exposed.
That said, there are plenty of reasons to be watching these Pacers.
With Teague starting to settle in as a distributor, Glenn Robinson providing some defense for the starters, and the bench stepping up, this team may have better than a 1% chance. Who knows, maybe they knock off someone in the first round and get some momentum going.
Next: Paul George is the NBA's Best Shooter in the Clutch
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