LeBron James Decision to Join 76ers Changes NBA Betting Odds
The LeBron James decision is finally over, as the star announced that he would be playing for the Philadelphia 76ers next season.
After the decision, there were major changes in the NBA betting odds for next season and a lot of betting action.
LeBron James decision
The decision to join the 76ers was a pretty surprising one, as US sportsbooks and prediction market platforms had Philly with the fourth-best odds to land King James.
Since the trade was opened in January on Kalshi of where James would play next season, over $226 million was traded on the prediction market platform. Just before the decision, the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors had the best odds to land James, with Philly fourth at only 8.9%.
At Kalshi, the 76ers got as high as the second-best odds at 18% on July 3. The Cavaliers, Heat, and Warriors all spent time with the best odds since the trade opened.
The NBA betting odds changed quickly
After King James made his decision, the NBA futures odds changed quickly. At the top US sportsbooks, the 76ers were at +2000 to win the NBA title before James made his decision. After it, the odds changed quickly, and currently, as of July 25, the 76ers are tied with the defending champion New York Knicks (+900) for the third-best odds at DraftKings Sportsbook.
In terms of the championship odds, the 76ers trail only the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, both at +270.
Philadelphia also jumped into a tie with the Knicks to win the Eastern Conference at +350.
Flurry of 76ers betting after King James decision
Not only did the odds change quickly after James made his decision, but there was also a flurry of bets on the 76ers. Halvor Egeland is a trading manager at BetMGM, and he stated, “It’s been nothing but 76ers. After the first hour, 98% of the title bets were on the Sixers.”
The James fit in the City of Brotherly Love
The big question now is how James fits with the 76ers. Philly is a massively different team than they were last year, not only adding James but also the big trade of the summer, getting star Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics.
Philly now has a loaded backcourt with Brown, emerging star Tyrese Maxey, who averaged 28.3 ppg last season, and VJ Edgecombe, who averaged 16 ppg last season.
Maxey has called James a big brother, as the two have worked out in the off-season for the last few seasons.
While the 76ers are stacked with the addition of James and Brown, there are still lingering questions. First and foremost is the health of star center Joel Embiid, who only played in 38 games last regular season. The other is Brown gelling with a new team.
Last season showed that James can take a backseat and not be the first option. He is one of the best facilitators in the game, and that will be vital in his first season in Philly.
Will history repeat itself in Philly?
The addition of James brings back memories of past Philadelphia teams adding stars to get over the hump, and fans are hoping history will repeat itself.
The 76ers needed to add Moses Malone to the team to win the 1983 NBA title, which was the last time they won it all. The Eagles needed to add star RB Saquon Barkley to win the Super Bowl a couple of seasons ago. The Phillies needed to add Pete Rose to win the World Series in 1980.
It remains to be seen if King James can help the 76ers end their title drought. The Knicks did it this season, and Philly looks to do so next season with James in the fold.
