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The NBA released its schedule for the 2020 regular-season restart in Orlando, Florida in late July. Each team will play eight regular-season games to decide seeding in each conference before the NBA Playoffs begin. The spotlight will surely be on the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis back on the hunt for a championship. Let’s take a look at the Lakers schedule and what it might mean for their championship odds.
Los Angeles Lakers Seeding Schedule Breakdown
- vs. LA Clippers on Thursday, July 30 (9:00 p.m. ET, TNT)
- vs. Toronto Raptors on Saturday, August 1 (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- vs. Utah Jazz on Monday, August 3 (9:00 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- vs. Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, August 5 (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
- vs. Houston Rockets on Thursday, August 6 (9:00 p.m. ET, TNT)
- vs. Indiana Pacers on Saturday, August 8 (6:00 p.m. ET, TNT)
- vs. Denver Nuggets on Monday, August 10 (9:00 p.m. ET, TNT)
- vs. Sacramento Kings on Thursday, August 13 (TBD, TBD)
Los Angeles Lakers Odds
Championship Odds: +240
Conference Winner Odds: +160
Despite a pretty tough schedule upon return, the Lakers remain favorites to win it all on DraftKings Sportsbook at +240, just a shade above the Milwaukee Bucks (+250) and Los Angeles Clippers (+333). Really, the schedule doesn’t matter much in the grand scheme of things. The Lakers have a 5.5 game lead on the Clippers for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. There’s a slim chance that the Clippers overtake the Lakers for that title, and even if they did, it wouldn’t hurt the Lakers’ title chances that much anyway. Seeding doesn’t matter as much with an even playing field and no home-court advantage.
Los Angeles Lakers Game Lines
Clippers: -1, -115 (ML -120)
Lakers: +1, -112 (ML -106)
Lakers: -3, -112 (ML -143)
Raptors: +3, -109 (ML +123)
DKSB already has odds posted for both of the Lakers first two games of the restart. They’ll kick things off against, of course, the Clippers on prime time in Orlando on TNT. The Lakers’ next game against the Raptors is also primetime on ESPN.
It’s tough to tell how any teams are going to react coming back from the break. I’m going to use the same thinking I used during the regular season: Whenever the Lakers are getting points, I’m going to take them. It’s pretty simple. Even against the Clippers. It doesn’t matter.
The Raptors spread is a little less enticing. For one, Toronto should be 100%, which means a healthy Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Marc Gasol, Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell, Serge Ibaka (pretty much their whole team has been hurt this season). Giving the defending champs a clean slate and three points on a neutral court, I’d be more prone to taking them, even against the Lakers.
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