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With a record of 207-39 over the past three seasons, the Golden State Warriors are a virtual lock to make the NBA playoffs, and one Las Vegas sportsbook has set its odds accordingly.
At the Westgate SuperBook, fans will have the opportunity to take one of the more intriguing bets in recent memory. The sportsbook put the odds of the Warriors making the playoffs at 1-1,000, meaning that a bet of $1,000 would net a measly $1 if they successfully qualify. To make a real profit, bettors will need to pony up in the six figures.
On the flip side, the odds of the Warriors missing the playoffs are listed at 100-1, so a $100 bet would win $10,000 in the event of a big collapse for the franchise.
Those odds could lead to unprecedented payouts if the Warriors fail to make the postseason. Westgate assistant manager Jeff Sherman described the team as having “the highest price we have ever placed on a favorite to make the playoffs,” according to ESPN.
Of course, it will probably take a small miracle for the Warriors to finish behind eight other teams in the Western Conference. Their core of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green remains in place, as do supporting players like Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston and JaVale McGee. Golden State’s only significant roster change was the signing of Nick Young, who’s coming off of a solid season with the Lakers.
As a result, expectations for the Warriors are as high as ever. Westgate puts their over/under win total at 67.5, 11 more games than any other team. ESPN, using in-house statistic real plus-minus, puts them at 62.1, still tops in the league.
And yet, the Westgate odds will draw plenty of interest, especially from fans who can’t resist the idea of making thousands of dollars by risking a tiny fraction of that. The Warriors are a juggernaut, but injuries and regression do happen, and a particularly adventurous bettor could stand to make a lot of money.
Take a look at Westgate’s over/unders for the rest of the NBA here.
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