NBA Championship Odds: Lines still favorable for Pacers

Earlier in the summer, the Indiana Pacers were seen as one of three teams with a legitimate shot of competing for the Eastern Conference Championship in the 2014-15 season by Vegas oddsmakers, but the injury to Paul George has certainly changed the outlook for Indiana's chances of competing this year. David West believes the Pacers aren't on the level where they can hold winning on the highest level as a realistic goal and the odds don't disagree.

Bovada.lv currently has the Pacers at 50/1 odds, which as long as they are, aren't nearly as long as the season many expect the Pacers to endure. The 50/1 line is equal to Eastern teams like the New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat, and shorter than the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, and Atlanta Hawks. The line, which surely saw play early in the summer, will need time to adjust based on how Indiana performs, but to go with 25/1 odds to win the Eastern Conference and 10/1 odds to win the Central Division (unquestionably the most top heavy division in the East), it would seem like the Pacers have a ways to go before they get to a line that might be more "realistic."

It's especially surprising when comparing the odds with the projected win totals for the NBA. According to OddsShark.com, the Pacers are getting an O/U line of 32.5 wins while the Hawks, Hornets, Heat, Nets, Knicks, and Raptors are all projected to be at or above .500 by season's end. The 32.5 win total puts Indiana at 12th in the Eastern Conference, outside of the opportunity to even compete for those 50/1 odds.

It's no surprise the oddsmakers favor a LeBron James/San Antonio NBA Finals Part IV. The Cavs are title favorites at 5/2 while the Spurs follow closely at 4/1. Fellow Central Division rival Chicago Bulls are in third at 11/2 with the Oklahoma City Thunder (11/2) and Los Angeles Clippers (10/1) rounding out the five heavy favorites for the title.

Below are the complete future odds for the NBA, according to Bovada.lv:

Odds to win the 2015 NBA Championship:

Cleveland Cavaliers 5/2
San Antonio Spurs 4/1
Chicago Bulls 11/2
Oklahoma City Thunder 11/2
Los Angeles Clippers 10/1
Dallas Mavericks 20/1
Houston Rockets 20/1
Golden State Warriors 25/1
Washington Wizards 33/1
Portland Trail Blazers 40/1
Indiana Pacers 50/1
Memphis Grizzlies 50/1
Miami Heat 50/1
New York Knicks 50/1
Toronto Raptors 50/1
Brooklyn Nets 66/1
Charlotte Hornets 66/1
Los Angeles Lakers 66/1
Atlanta Hawks 100/1
Denver Nuggets 100/1
New Orleans Pelicans 100/1
Phoenix Suns 100/1
Boston Celtics 200/1
Detroit Pistons 200/1
Sacramento Kings 250/1
Milwaukee Bucks 300/1
Minnesota Timberwolves 300/1
Utah Jazz 300/1
Philadelphia 76ers 500/1

Odds to win the 2015 Eastern Conference:

Cleveland Cavaliers 4/5
Chicago Bulls 9/4
Washington Wizards 14/1
Miami Heat 16/1
Indiana Pacers 20/1
Charlotte Hornets 25/1
New York Knicks 25/1
Toronto Raptors 25/1
Brooklyn Nets 28/1
Atlanta Hawks 40/1
Boston Celtics 50/1
Detroit Pistons 100/1
Orlando Magic 100/1
Milwaukee Bucks 150/1
Philadelphia 76ers 150/1

Odds to win the 2015 Central Division:

Cleveland Cavaliers 1/2
Chicago Bulls 7/4
Indiana Pacers 10/1
Detroit Pistons 50/1
Milwaukee Bucks 100/1