Injuries are causing significant movement at the top of NBA championship futures

Remember when the Phoenix Suns were the odds-on favorite (+200) to win the NBA title? Or when you couldn’t find any team out East with odds better than the Milwaukee Bucks (+450) to win it all? A few days ago, it surely felt as if a 2021 Finals rematch was a safe bet.

Things changed quickly.

You’d likely do a double-take today if you saw how those prior championship odds have shifted. And all it took was one loss from both teams to cause such drastic shifts in their futures. It just wasn’t the loss on the scoreboard, but each team’s loss of an All-Star player? Absolutely.

Here’s a look at how the lines moved from Tuesday to Friday:

Odds on 4/19                                                                  Odds on 4/22

ICYMI: Both Devin Booker and Khris Middleton were injured in their team’s Game 2 losses earlier this week. Booker left with a hamstring and Middleton with a knee — both are out for at least two weeks.

The dip in Phoenix’s (+500) and Milwaukee’s (+750) championship odds directly results from the injuries. Now, everyone is asking whether or not either of 2021’s Finals participants have enough talent remaining to make it past the first round. And while it may be tough to overcome such significant losses, both Phoenix and Milwaukee can look at the Dallas Mavericks for inspiration.

The Mavs lost Luka Doncic to a calf strain on the final day of the regular season and saw their Western Conference championship odds fall (+1300), as a result. But two impressive wins later and a Luka return on the horizon, those same odds have increased (+900).

What will these odds look like over the next few days if the Bucks and Suns steal a Game 3 road win? Futures are ever-changing, so it might be a good idea to buy the dip now if you think either team will get up off the canvas.