TITLE: Oddsmakers Lift Cavaliers’ Title Chances After James Harden Trade
SLUG: oddsmakers-lift-cavaliers-title-chances-after-james-harden-trade
CONTENT:
Several major sportsbooks have upgraded the Cleveland Cavaliers’ championship odds in the wake of the deal that sent guard James Harden from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, moving Cleveland back into the heart of the 2023-24 NBA title picture.
Updated futures released after the trade place the Cavaliers among the league’s top contenders, trailing only Milwaukee, Boston, Denver, Phoenix, the Lakers and the Clippers. Before the transaction, Cleveland had been listed outside the first tier of favorites.
Oddsmakers cited Harden’s exit from the 76ers as a factor that reshapes the Eastern Conference landscape, potentially clearing a path for the Cavaliers, whose core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen returned intact for a second season.
While Milwaukee and Boston remain the clear favorites in the East, the betting market now views Cleveland as a viable challenger, restoring the club to a position it last occupied immediately after acquiring Mitchell in September 2022.
Source: Hoops Wire
