Heat such overwhelming favorites, Indiana's championship odds dwarfed

The folks at Bovada have their championship odds for the 2013 NBA Playoffs, and as expected, the Miami Heat are the heavy favorites to repeat. But what comes as a surprise is just how much of a favorite they are. The Heat opened at a 5/8 line, but it hasn't proven a deterrent, with their line dropping to 2/3 due to the sheer number of bets.

It makes the Indiana Pacers' 25/1 odds seem impossible by comparison as the bets suggest the Pacers are among 15 other teams playing for second. But due in part to the Eastern Conference being seen as the inferior conference, the Pacers' odds are right up with the top of the league, placing them in a three way tie with the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers for fifth, respectful of their seeding, and respectful of the path they'll face that would require what's shaping up to be one of the greatest upsets in NBA history.

Just how big of a line advantage do the Heat have? Just take a look at the four years leading up to this season as a comparison:

Odds to win the 2008-2009 NBA Championship

Cleveland Cavaliers 4/3

Odds to win the 2009-2010 NBA Championship

Cleveland Cavaliers 7/4

Odds to win the 2010-2011 NBA Championship

Los Angeles Lakers 11/4

Odds to win the 2011-2012 NBA Championship

Miami Heat 11/5

Winning has done Miami a lot of good to drastically improve their odds over last year, but so to has their 66-16 regular season, the 27-game winning streak, and once against Most Valuable Player LeBron James's otherwordly season. But despite everything being so heavily favored towards the Heat, they did finish the season 4-6 against the Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bulls, and New York Knicks, and it's very possible the Heat could go head to head with two of those teams. A seven game series victory for any of those three, including the Pacers? That's as long a shot as the bets say, but there's a reason they play the games.

As for the rest of the NBA postseason? Here are the odds to win the NBA Championship:

Miami Heat 2/3

Oklahoma City Thunder 17/4

San Antonio Spurs 10/1

New York Knicks 16/1

Denver Nuggets 25/1

Indiana Pacers 25/1

Los Angeles Clippers 25/1

Los Angeles Lakers 40/1

Memphis Grizzlies 40/1

Chicago Bulls 60/1

Brooklyn Nets 60/1

Boston Celtics 66/1

Golden State Warriors 100/1

Houston Rockets 100/1

Atlanta Hawks 150/1

Milwaukee Bucks 500/1

In addition to being tied for fifth, the Pacers have the third best odds to come out of the Eastern Conference:

Miami Heat 2/9

New York Knicks 7/1

Indiana Pacers 12/1

Chicago Bulls 25/1

Brooklyn Nets 28/1

Boston Celtics 30/1

Atlanta Hawks 66/1

Milwaukee Bucks 200/1

Out West, the Oklahoma City Thunder are expected favorites to repeat as Western Conference Champions:

Oklahoma City Thunder 6/5

San Antonio Spurs 5/2

Denver Nuggets 6/1

Los Angeles Clippers 15/2

Memphis Grizzlies 14/1

Los Angeles Lakers 20/1

Golden State Warriors 40/1

Houston Rockets 50/1

Who should Pacers fans expect to play if they are able to reach the NBA Finals?

Atlanta Hawks vs. Denver Nuggets 400/1

Atlanta Hawks vs. Golden State Warriors 2500/1

Atlanta Hawks vs. Houston Rockets 3000/1

Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Clippers 500/1

Atlanta Hawks vs. Los Angeles Lakers 1000/1

Atlanta Hawks vs. Memphis Grizzlies 750/1

Atlanta Hawks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 125/1

Atlanta Hawks vs. San Antonio Spurs 200/1

Boston Celtics vs. Denver Nuggets 200/1

Boston Celtics vs. Golden State Warriors 1000/1

Boston Celtics vs. Houston Rockets 1250/1

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Clippers 250/1

Boston Celtics vs. Los Angeles Lakers 600/1

Boston Celtics vs. Memphis Grizzlies 400/1

Boston Celtics vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 66/1

Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs 100/1

Brooklyn Nets vs. Denver Nuggets 200/1

Brooklyn Nets vs. Golden State Warriors 1000/1

Brooklyn Nets vs. Houston Rockets 1250/1

Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Clippers 225/1

Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers 500/1

Brooklyn Nets vs. Memphis Grizzlies 400/1

Brooklyn Nets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 60/1

Brooklyn Nets vs. San Antonio Spurs 75/1

Chicago Bulls vs. Denver Nuggets 175/1

Chicago Bulls vs. Golden State Warriors 1000/1

Chicago Bulls vs. Houston Rockets 1250/1

Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Clippers 200/1

Chicago Bulls vs. Los Angeles Lakers 500/1

Chicago Bulls vs. Memphis Grizzlies 350/1

Chicago Bulls vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 50/1

Chicago Bulls vs. San Antonio Spurs 80/1

Indiana Pacers vs. Denver Nuggets 80/1

Indiana Pacers vs. Golden State Warriors 500/1

Indiana Pacers vs. Houston Rockets 600/1

Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Clippers 100/1

Indiana Pacers vs. Los Angeles Lakers 250/1

Indiana Pacers vs. Memphis Grizzlies 175/1

Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 25/1

Indiana Pacers vs. San Antonio Spurs 40/1

Miami Heat vs. Denver Nuggets 15/2

Miami Heat vs. Golden State Warriors 50/1

Miami Heat vs. Houston Rockets 60/1

Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Clippers 9/1

Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers 22/1

Miami Heat vs. Memphis Grizzlies 16/1

Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 8/5

Miami Heat vs. San Antonio Spurs 13/4

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Denver Nuggets 1250/1

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Golden State Warriors 5000/1

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Houston Rockets 5000/1

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Clippers 1500/1

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Los Angeles Lakers 3000/1

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies 2500/1

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 400/1

Milwaukee Bucks vs. San Antonio Spurs 500/1

New York Knicks vs. Denver Nuggets 50/1

New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors 300/1

New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets 400/1

New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Clippers 60/1

New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers 150/1

New York Knicks vs. Memphis Grizzlies 100/1

New York Knicks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 15/1

New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs 25/1

Of course, those odds are certainly long, especially when the Heat often have a better chance of going undefeated.

Will the Miami Heat go undefeated in the 2013 NBA Playoffs?

Yes 50/1