Updated 2017-18 First Team All-NBA Odds

Updated 2017-18 First Team All-NBA Odds

There have been plenty of significant changes within the first team all-NBA odds offered at 5Dimes since they were initially posted in late June. All of the Kyrie Irving madness going on accounts for some of the movement, as he originally had the 4th best odds among guards at +450. His odds have since been taken off the board, but it would be interesting to see what they would be if he were to be traded to a team like the Suns where he would have an opportunity to boost his stats.

Guards

Though Paul George’s presence will hurt Russell Westbrook’s stat line a little bit, bettors jumped on the chance to get him at +140. He has the third best odds in the league behind LeBron James and Kevin Durant. The three guards behind Westbrook also saw their odds improve, with Steph Curry making the biggest jump from +250 to +135 (14% higher implied odds). Last season, James Harden and Westbrook accounted for 199 of 200 first team votes.

Forwards

LeBron is basically the only frontrunner who has seen his odds drop over the past couple of months. With the Cavs’ big three status up in the air, it appears that bettors have liked the potential 3/1 payout for him missing the first team. Some people may argue that the three best players in the NBA are all forwards and unfortunately, it means that either James, Durant, or Kawhi Leonard will miss the team. James has made the first team ten seasons in a row now so proceed with caution if you are thinking of taking the “no”.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s odds have skyrocketed from +625 to +220, almost a 20% swing in implied probability. Although he was viewed as a forward last season for voting purposes, the Greek Freak is often used as a point guard. It’s tough to tell whether that helps or hurts his case, though, as voters may have a hard time classifying his position.

Centers

Last year, Anthony Davis barely edged out Rudy Gobert to make the first team (343 points to 339). So far, bettors have moved both of their odds by considerable margins. With a full season of DeMarcus Cousins ahead of him, I’d be weary of betting on Davis…not to mention his injury concerns. With the addition of Jimmy Butler to the team, the Timberwolves youngster Karl-Anthony Towns is a solid option considering they payout. The T-Wolves win total of 45.5 is significantly higher than the 31 they had last year. If he can continue to improve and help the team be a “contender” in the west, he should get some serious consideration for a position that doesn’t have much depth.

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