Earlier this season, an NBA bettor placed a wager on the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers to face off in the NBA Finals, which was set at crazy odds at the time.
When the bet was placed, it was at +50000 odds with the Lakers sitting outside of the play-in picture and the Heat battling for the No. 6 spot in the East. The implied probability for this matchup happening when that bet was placed was 0.2%.
Both teams ended up in the play-in tournament, but they are now just one series win away from allowing this bettor to cash in big time. Miami will take on the winner of the Boston Celtics-Philadelphia 76ers series, while the Lakers are matched up with the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
Both of these teams played in the 2020 NBA Finals, but there's more than just a rematch at stake this time. If both teams win and advance, this bettor will win $250,000!
Los Angeles Lakers odds to make the NBA Finals
The Lakers are set as underdogs against the top-seeded Nuggets, but Los Angeles has already upset the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors in these playoffs.
Both series lasted just six games, and Los Angeles is a perfect 7-0 at home since the start of the play-in tournament.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis are as good of a duo left in the playoffs, and Davis is one of the few players that may be able to give Nikola Jokic trouble.
The Lakers have an implied probability of 45.45% to make the NBA Finals at this point in the playoffs.
Miami Heat odds to make the NBA Finals
Miami has made an even more improbable run to the Conference Finals than the Lakers.
The Heat lost their first play-in game to Atlanta, but they ended up surviving against the Chicago Bulls to nab the No. 8 seed. From there, the Heat beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round in just five games before taking down the New York Knicks in six games in the second round.
Jimmy Butler has been one of the best players in the postseason, but Miami is still +330 to make the NBA Finals, showing that oddsmakers think they'll lose to Boston or Philadelphia.
The implied probability of the Heat making the Finals is 23.26 percent, which seems like a great value given their impressive play in the playoffs.
The fact that this bet is still alive is extremely impressive considering where each team was when it was placed. Who's rooting for this to cash?
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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
