2021 NBA Title Odds: Suns Go from Long Shot to 8-1 Contenders After Beating Lakers

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Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns have
transformed from a 60-1 long shot into a formidable 8-1 contender in the latest betting odds for the 2021 NBA championship.

ESPN’s David Purdum reported Friday the
Suns (+800; bet $100 to win $800) are the oddsmakers’ fourth choice to capture the title
behind the Brooklyn Nets (+165), Utah Jazz (+325) and Milwaukee
Bucks (+550) after they knocked the defending champion Los Angeles
Lakers out of the playoffs in the first round.

The Lakers weren’t at full strength in
the series. Anthony Davis suffered a groin injury in Game 4 that kept him out of Game 5 and limited him to five minutes in the
deciding Game 6. LeBron James wasn’t making his usual MVP-level impact after a high ankle sprain suffered in March.

That said, the Suns have been
undervalued in the betting market for most of the season.

Phoenix put its potential on the
display in the NBA’s bubble last year. It went 8-0 with wins over the
likes of the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and
Dallas Mavericks. While it wasn’t enough to make the playoffs, it was a hint of things to come.

The Suns acquired 11-time
All-Star Chris Paul in an offseason trade to run the offense and provide veteran
leadership. They also signed Jae Crowder in free agency to bolster a
frontcourt that was thin behind Deandre Ayton.

They posted a 51-21 record during the
regular season, second in the NBA behind the Jazz (52-20), and were standing toe-to-toe with the star-studded
Lakers even before the injury to Davis. They’ll face the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals.

There are no easy matchups left in the
postseason, regardless of which team emerges from the
Mavericks-Clippers series, so the squad that takes home
the title will have earned it.

The Suns, with Booker, Paul, Ayton and
a strong supporting cast, have a realistic shot to become that team,
and the betting markets are adjusting in kind.