With Kevin Durant, books make Suns new West favorite
(FILES) FILE–New Phoenix Sun Kevin Durant. (Photo by Michael Reaves / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)
From C-minus status to conference favorite, the Phoenix Suns are back in the Western Conference driver’s seat with KD.
A flurry of superstar trade activity led oddsmakers to adjust the Western Conference favorite odds overnight Wednesday. They elevated the Suns to the top line at +200 (FanDuel) after reports of Phoenix adding Kevin Durant in a blockbuster trade that sent three players and at least four draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets have traded James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Durant in the span of 12 months and dropped from +700 on Sunday night to win the NBA title to +10000 on Thursday morning at BetMGM.
The Suns’ title odds were +1800 to start the week and as of Thursday at BetMGM hit +450.
KEVIN DURANT IS A PHOENIX SUN. pic.twitter.com/VpMelG9Hoc
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 9, 2023
FanDuel’s updated NBA title futures odds listed the Boston Celtics as the favorite at +300 followed at +420 by the Milwaukee Bucks, Suns (+460) and Denver Nuggets (+700).
Counting futures bets made this week only, BetMGM said no team has drawn more bets than the Suns — 34.5 percent — and Phoenix represents 43.9 percent of the total handle in that same timeframe.
When the Dallas Mavericks acquired Irving earlier in the week, the Mavs’ odds to win the NBA title went from +2500 to +1600 at BetMGM.
At DraftKings, the Suns are now down from +1800 to win the NBA title to +500 behind only the Celtics (+360).
The Suns are 30-26 entering play Thursday after posting the NBA’s best record in the 2021-22 regular season and losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2022 NBA Finals.
