When betting on the Eastern Conference Finals, the dynamics are still the same as any other sports gambling form. The idea is to combine the highest probability of success with the best possible price. The 2020 NBA Playoffs were a great example of betting value and perception, both right and wrong, and intangible factors that go into a successful evaluation and winning wager.
The 2020 Western Conference Finals were of no surprise to fans and gamblers as far as the ultimate winner. Now that doesn't mean that there weren't some surprises along the way. The LA Clippers were the hot trendy preseason pick for the Western Conference Finals. The arrival of native son Kawhi Leonard, who was fresh off a 2019 NBA Finals championship with the Toronto Raptors, triggered a massive increase in betting handle for the Clippers. The fact that Leonard was the 2019 NBA Finals MVP added to the gambling appeal of LA. But just as the Miami Heat were upstart winners of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Denver Nuggets emerged as the West's Cinderella team. Let's examine the gambling lessons of the 2020 Western Conference Finals. We will also review the events that led up to those lessons and the prospects for the top favorites in the West for 2021.
Due to the pandemic, the 2021 NBA All-Star weekend was thought to be lost.
The NBA Finals rivals the World Series as the second most popular major professional sports championship series in North America. Only the Super Bowl ranks higher as the king of all sports championships. The NBA Finals merges everything that sports executives like. First, the NBA Finals are relentlessly promoted on ESPN under the beard of "news." ESPN is part of the Disney Umbrella that includes ABC TV. This relationship gives ESPN the incentive to manufacture as many "news" stories on the NBA Finals that are really nothing more than free publicity. This publicity serves to drive up the betting action far beyond most other sports.