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As expected, the Pacific Division is a race between the two Los Angeles teams. The Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are the only two teams in the division over .500 and nobody else is anywhere near the playoff picture. Here’s how the odds look at DK Sportsbook.
Pacific Division odds
Lakers: -500
Clippers: +225
Kings: +50000
Suns: +50000
Warriors: N/A
The Lakers are running away with the division. Currently holding a 6.5-game lead, it’s hard to see the Lakers finishing anywhere other than first in the Pacific. The biggest key to this team is improvement on the defensive end of the floor. After struggling at times on D when they missed the playoffs last year, Anthony Davis has turned around that aspect of their game. The Lakers rank first in the Western Conference in defensive efficiency and AD is the leading Defensive Player of the Year candidate at -278 odds. Having a healthy LeBron James has also been huge for the Lakers. After playing a career-low 55 games last season, he’s missed just two games this season.
The Clippers have made it pretty clear they aren’t playing for regular season wins. This is a team making sure it’s healthy for the playoffs. Kawhi Leonard hasn’t been playing in back-to-back situations and Paul George has missed 22 games due to a variety of ailments, including offseason shoulder surgery. Even when healthy, PG hasn’t looked quite like himself this season. He’s getting to the free throw line less often and his scoring has dropped from 29.0 points per game last season to 21.7. Considering how the Clippers have approached the regular season, it’s difficult to envision them making a run to win the division.
Best bet to win: Los Angeles Lakers (-500)
I get the odds are wide, but there isn’t anybody else I can seriously consider here other than the Lakers. Barring a catastrophe, they appear to have this division wrapped up. The Kings, Suns and Warriors are all so far behind that none of them can be taken seriously and the only other god team in the division, the Clippers, don’t seem to mind finishing near the middle of the pack in the Western Conference.
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