Link That's 3rd best behind the Heat (11-4) and Thunder (5-1). This in a "throwaway" season. Anyway, I found it interesting.
Interesting indeed. Maybe a sign that Derrick's rehab is going well? Makes you think about our options a little differently.
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/spor...sted-favorites-win-2013-nba-championship-odds Predictably, the lines offered have caused something of a stir, mostly because they seem to be based moreso on reputation than actual, legitimate analysis of the league as presently constructed. A number of things jump out right off the bat. Seeing as we don’t even know if Derrick Rose will play next year, how can the Bulls possibly have the third best odds to win a title? Early lines are always fun, but only when they’re based on a reasonable analysis of the league. This is just numbers hastily thrown together with no real thought put behind them.
FWIW, I dug up that the Bulls were 6-1 last year this time, too. The Heat were favorites to win it all.
It's a betting line designed to get action, but not so much that the house could get its teeth kicked in. Oddsmakers who are careless aren't oddsmakers long. I think they'll find that few will take 6-1 on the Bulls because of the uncertainty and the odds will climb. The other alternative is to take the Bulls off the board, which is what oddsmakers often do if the uncertainty is too much.
I'm not sure what to make of these odds. I know for a fact that the Vegas odds are initially set by an independent odds making company. I don't think that these odds were made by that company. There's uncertainty for every team. How about the Celtics? Which of their big 3 are going to remain, and if they all remain, can they make the ECF again? How about the Heat? They won it, sure, but they also have an $83M payroll (with cap holds) that they might cut down to avoid the big tax for being in the LT 3 straight years. And so on. As for the Bulls, perhaps this one oddsmaker expects Rose to come back for playoffs. I remember Jordan came back late season and looked incredibly rusty and the Bulls didn't do so well in the playoffs. Why expect Rose to do better?
The Bulls were a good team without Rose, maybe the odds makers were thinking this team would make the playoffs without Rose, add Derrick and we are back as contenders. We shall see. I doubt it. More like 2013-14
