Betting markets assess Luka, Booker, Khris, and Steph

Injuries affect top contenders' chances, and provide insight into star value

BY JEFF FOGLE

News of Luka’s injury had a huge impact on the Mavs’ odds of beating the Jazz in Game 1. Now that the Mavericks are up in the series, the markets have roughly halved Luka’s projected impact. TOM PENNINGTON/GETTY IMAGES

Can the wisdom of informed crowds tell us how much NBA superstars are worth? 

Just a week ago we published the markets’ favorites to win the title, and the Suns and Bucks were in first and second place, well ahead of the Nets and Warriors. Now that Bucks star Khris Middleton and Suns star Devin Booker are hurt, and Stephen Curry is back, the Warriors are the betting markets’ new favorites. 

In other words, injuries are already a major storyline of the NBA playoffs.

• Questions about Stephen Curry’s availability have largely been answered.

• How damaging is Devin Booker’s hamstring injury to the Suns’ chances to go the distance? 

• Are the Bucks destined to be an also-ran if Khris Middleton can’t return from a strained knee ligament?

• What does news of Luka Doncic’s impending return do to the Mavericks’ odds?

• Do betting markets think Ben Simmons could change the story for the Nets?

Studying game-by-game betting lines through the playoffs can certainly give us a likely range for star value.