After Trading for Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanovic, Oddsmakers Aren't Buying the Sixers as Title Favorites, Yet

The Sixers are all in, but Vegas isn't buying it … yet.

Wednesday's early morning trade (see story) signaled that the Sixers are making a real run at the NBA title this season, and while many are calling them the favorites in the East, the odds don't reflect that, yet.

The Sixers were 16/1 to win the title and 5/1 to make it to the NBA Finals on Jan. 28. Today, they're 14/1 to win the title and 3.75/1 to make it to the NBA Finals. Not a big change and they're still behind three other teams in the East.

Why? Vegas probably wants to wait and see how Tobias Harris fits with his new teammates and they're unwilling to move the Sixers up ahead of the Raptors, Celtics and Bucks without that information. If the odds reacted the way some experts were, making the Sixers the on-paper favorites to win the East, that could have created a lot of liability on better odds on the three teams currently in the home-court advantage positions. 

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Should the Sixers begin winning more games with the additions of Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott and move themselves into third in the East, or higher, you'll see a big shift in the odds. If you like those chances, now may be the time to place your futures bet on the Sixers.

The lukewarm reaction to the trade in the odds comes after the addition of Jimmy Butler sent the Sixers soaring up the futures boards.

At that time, the addition of Butler was seen as a true differentiator between the team the Sixers had before and what they were able to offer after. Vegas wasn't willing to lay 30/1 on the Sixers immediately after the trade. This time, it's different.

While some have argued that this trade brings the Sixers the exact piece they need to be a true contender, the truth is, they're still looking at, likely, a series against Toronto or Milwaukee as the worse seed.

There's two ways to look at this. Either this is a great opportunity to get the Sixers with value on a future that could slash in price if the team plays well after the trade or, as Vegas sees it, they're still not quite as good as the top three teams in the East in a series where a potential game seven would be on the road.

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