At one point during the 2018-2019 season, the Los Angeles Lakers were 20-14 and sitting pretty atop the Western Conference at the 4th spot.
Then, LeBron James got hurt and the team struggled to stay above .500 until he returned. To make matters worse, trade discussions pretty much gutted team morale and the team would go on to get blown out in a few games before the All-Star break.
The team now sits at 28-29, good for 10th in the Western Conference.
Because of that, Las Vegas oddsmakers now believe that LeBron James’ 13-year streak of making the playoffs could be coming to an end. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook reopened odds on a proposition bet for the Lakers’ playoff chances, with both the “yes” and “no” at equal -110 odds. via ESPN.
By Saturday evening, the Lakers were favored to miss the postseason at -125 odds with “yes” at +105 due to a “small accumulation” of bets.
“With the trade deadline having passed and the length of the break over the next week due to the All-Star Game, this prop is polarizing,” Jeff Sherman, vice president of risk at The SuperBook told ESPN. “It’s at the forefront of interest considering the Lakers’ record at this point of the season.”
Lakers odds of making the playoffs before the season was heavily favored at -450 (the no was +350) , which caused one bettor to wager $50,000 on yes at -500 odds, for a potential profit of $10,000.
James has competed in the last eight Finals, but that was while being a part of the Eastern Conference.
