Nets see title odds suffer after rough first two weeks

The NBA season has not started the way the Brooklyn Nets envisioned, and the Las Vegas oddsmakers have certainly taken note. 

After limping out of the gates to a 2-5 start and allowing the most points per game in the Eastern Conference (122.2 points), it appears as though Las Vegas sportsbooks no longer consider the Nets realistic title contenders. Obviously, we’re dealing with a small sample size, and the odds for most teams will change numerous times during the season, but it’s rare that we see a move as drastic as what we’ve seen with the Nets happen so quickly. 

When we previewed the NBA title odds before the season started, the Nets were tied with the Clippers and Warriors for the third-best odds in the league at +700. Headed into Monday’s game, the Nets had seen their odds drop all the way to +1500, marking a clear distinction between them and the top teams, who haven’t seen their odds move much at all. 

The Bucks, Celtics, and Warriors understandably remain near the top of the NBA title odds list, but it’s curious to see the Clippers’ odds not impacted much since they are also off to a poor 3-4 start and have already seen star Kawhi Leonard miss multiple games with knee soreness. Considering Leonard missed all of last season with a knee injury, his inability to play consistently early on is a major red flag; however, it’s telling that Vegas is more concerned about the Nets than the Clippers given all of that. 

The Suns and 76ers have also experienced slight improvements in their NBA title odds thanks to strong starts to the season, and even in our preseason article, we had the Suns as a dark horse contender given that they “made the NBA Finals in 2021 and were the number one seed in the Western Conference in 2022 before an injury to Devin Booker derailed their playoff hopes…Given their past success, I’m not sure how we can’t consider them as a title contender.”

The 76ers seeing a slight improvement in their odds is also intriguing given that they are just 3-4 to begin the season. However, we had concerns before the season started about the 76ers finding a strong third option behind Joel Embiid and James Harden, but Tyrese Maxey seems more than capable of filling that role. He’s building on his strong campaign last year with 22.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game to start the year. 

While the season is still young, and the Nets have the talent needed to turn things around quickly, the early signs from Vegas are not promising. Especially when coupled with head coach Steve Nash being fired on Tuesday with the season not even two weeks old. 

The Nets will now allegedly invite more drama into their lives by seeking to hire Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who has been suspended for a year for having an inappropriate relationship with an employee and allegedly “making unwanted comments towards her.“

Bringing back the same dysfunctional squad was a bit of a risky proposition before the season began, but now the Nets situation seems to be shaping up to be a poor bet and one that gamblers should certainly avoid when considering who to back with NBA title futures bets. 

For more Nets coverage like this NBA title odds article, visit amNY Sports