May 30, 2017
After spending several consecutive years as an afterthought when it comes to the NBA postseason, the Sixers are hoping to take a leap forward next season. And while they're still a ways from being serious title contenders, they're going to be much closer to the ultimate prize, at least according to Vegas oddsmakers.
The 2017 NBA Finals don't begin until Thursday, but over at OddShark, they've already posted the futures for next year's championship. Aside from the Warriors being favored against the field – you'll need to bet $150 in order to win $100 – and it looking like a rematch against the Cavs – a $100 bet will earn you $300 if LeBron James and Co. win in 2018 – there was one thing that will likely jump off the page, especially if you're a Sixers fan.
The Sixers are tied for the 11th-best odds to win the 2018 NBA Finals. Of course, the other way of looking at it – due to the fact that they are in a nine-way tie – is that the Sixers have the 10th worst odds to win the title, per OddsShark.
| TEAM | ODDS |
| GSW | -150 |
| CLE | +300 |
| SAS | +1500 |
| BOS | +2000 |
| HOU | +4000 |
| LAC | +5000 |
| WAS | +5000 |
| MIL | +7500 |
| OKC | +7500 |
| TOR | +7500 |
| NOP | +10000 |
| CHI | +15000 |
| DEN | +15000 |
| IND | +15000 |
| MEM | +15000 |
| MIA | +15000 |
| MIN | +15000 |
| PHI | +15000 |
| POR | +15000 |
| UTA | +15000 |
| LAL | +20000 |
| DAL | +25000 |
| ATL | +30000 |
| DET | +30000 |
| NYK | +30000 |
| CHA | +40000 |
| PHO | +75000 |
| BKN | +100000 |
| ORL | +100000 |
| SAC | +100000 |
It's still incredibly long odds given the recent lack of parity in the NBA – a $100 bet would win you $15,000.
Interestingly enough, those 150-1 odds are the same odds Bovada had for the Sixers last offseason, but at that time they were the third worst in the league. That's probably due to the fact that the Warriors were +200, rather than -150. Of course, after spending several seasons down near the bottom of these types of lists, it's nice to see the Sixers pretty much anywhere else, even if it doesn't mean too much in terms of their chances to actually win the title.
Whether or not they remain in the middle of the pack will depend largely on the health of Joel Embiid, as well as what the Sixers are able to do in the draft and free agency.
In other words, these odds could change quite a bit between now and the start of the season.
Follow Matt on Twitter: @matt_mullin
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