Major Events In The NBA World Are Affecting Betting Lines

• Avery Bradley will not be joining the LA Lakers (+225 odds to win Finals) when the season resumes in Orlando.
• JR Smith prime target to join the Lakers in Bradley’s stead.
• Denver Nuggets (+3000 odds to win Finals) star center Nikola Jokic has tested positive for the coronavirus.

ORLANDO, Fla.- The NBA has been on fire with new developments recently and a slew of events are starting to affect betting lines.

The core of the news surrounds the return of the league in Orlando, with many players like Avery Bradley of the LA Lakers beginning to opt-out of playing, causing sports bettors to take action.

Star players like Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets have tested positive for the coronavirus, causing more discomfort for players about the restart.

Lakers Lose Perimeter Defense

Avery Bradley has been consistently the Lakers' best perimeter defender all season and NBA sports bettors are taking note of the major hit his absence means to the team.

Although the Lakers still have the shortest odds to win the NBA Championship, the big lead they have at online sportsbooks are starting to close.

On the court, Bradley’s numbers may not stand out, but as a defender, the 6’2” combo guard is one of the strongest on the team.

When Bradley is guarding opponents, their 3 point percentage drops to the 20% range.

Bradley’s decision to stay home was strictly personal, as he wanted to be home for his family, as well as focus on bettering his communities.

JR Smith And Lebron James Reunite

The popular name that has popped up to replace Bradley on the Lakers roster is Lebron James's former teammate JR Smith. His recent workout with the Lakers has led to even more fan speculation.

JR is not a strong defender, but in the last 11 games he played last season for the Cavilers, he shot 37.5% from the three.

If Smith is selected to replace Bradley, then it would be a good idea to take the over on Lakers’ games, as more threes would be shot for both teams, with less resistance on the Lakers as well.

Nikola Jokic Positive For COVID-19

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has tested positive for the coronavirus, causing sports bettors to jump ship on the Nuggets.

Denver now has the fourth shortest odds to win the West as fans worry over the Joker’s fate with the coronavirus.

Jokic now has to be quarantined and then supply two negative test results before he is able to join the team in Orlando.

Worse comes to worst and he is unable to play once the season restarts, then the odds for Denver to claim the west will get even longer.

Jokic is the centerpiece of Denver’s offense. The team goes as he goes as they are a significantly worse team when he is off the floor.

Nikola Jokic was averaging 20.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.9 assists before the season stopped and the Nuggets will need his performance if they hope for a run at the NBA Finals.

All these events in the NBA world are sure to affect the win totals for teams once the season resumes.

With all the changes happening around the league, online sportsbooks will be filled with action for sports bettors.