It was a busy day for NBA news on Wednesday, as it was reported Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul and Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will miss time during their respective playoffs series'. Paul is sidelined indefinitely, having entered the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocol, while Leonard is also out indefinitely with what the team fears is an ACL injury. And this news has had an impact on the NBA championship betting odds.
“Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard are out for indefinite periods of time. The injury news has shifted the NBA Championship odds for many teams,” Darren Darby, Sports Trader at BetMGM, said. “The Suns and Clippers have seen their title odds get longer while the Nets are becoming clearer favorites.”
(Odds courtesy of BetMGM)
Before the news about Paul, the Suns odds were +400 and those have gotten slightly longer at +450 now. Paul might not miss an extraordinary amount of time, as it has been reported he is vaccinated and the isolation period is shorter for those who are vaccinated. But still.
As for the Clippers, their odds to win the championship were +500 before the news about Leonard. They are now twice as long at +1000. They are getting set to face the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their playoffs series Wednesday night.
The Brooklyn Nets are still the favorite to win the championship and their odds have gotten shorter. Before the news, their odds were +275 and they’re now at +200. The Utah Jazz also have shorter odds now, as they were at +400 before the news and are now +275. The Philadelphia 76ers saw some movement, from +800 to +700. As did the Milwaukee Bucks, whose odds shortened from +1000 to +900. The Atlanta Hawks odds remained the same at +5000.
Keep a close eye on these odds as the playoffs continue and news about Paul and Leonard continues to develop.
Lucy is a sports betting content producer with Audacy and BetQL. She has worked with WEEI and Audacy as a writer, radio producer and podcaster. Lucy lives in Boston and loves Tom Brady and prop bets. Follow Lucy on Twitter at @LucilleBurdge.



