He took his talents to South Beach.
Then brought them back to Cleveland. And then sent them out west to Los Angeles.
Now, after closing out the Denver Nuggets, LeBron James is taking his talents back to the NBA Finals. And Sunday night, James’ old team, the Miami Heat, eliminated the Boston Celtics with a 125-113 victory to earn a trip there too.
So this year’s NBA Finals is the Battle of Bron. New versus old. East versus West. And if those storylines aren’t juicy enough, DraftKings Sportsbook is going to make everything even better.
DraftKings offering 200% profit boost on any NBA finals bet
The sportsbook is running a promotion for the NBA finals that will allow new users to triple their winnings on any NBA Finals bet.
Here’s the fine print:
- All NBA Finals games are eligible for the promotion.
- Following sign-up, users will be issued a single-use triple winnings promotion (200% profit boost) to use on any NBA Finals market.
- You must select the boost from your bet slip before placing your wager to apply the boosted price.
- The 200% profit boost will apply to the winnings (winnings exclude your original bet).
- New users only (first-time bettors).
- Max bet: $50.
- Max winnings: $500.
- One qualifying bet per user.
- Boosted odds bet must be placed on an individual bet slip.
- Includes live bets and parlays.
- Excludes free bets, cash-out bets, voided bets and odds boost.
- Profit boost expires at the end of the NBA Finals.
Lakers installed as NBA Finals favorites
In a tweet on Sunday, William Hill Sportsbook revealed initial odds for the NBA Finals, setting LeBron and the Lakers’ odds at -440 to win the series and the Heat at +360.
On Tuesday, DraftKings PA had series and Game One odds as follows:
| Team | Moneyline | Game 1 ML | Game 1 Spread | Game 1 O/U |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LA Lakers | -375 | -195 | -4.5 | O 217.5 (-112) |
| Miami Heat | +280 | +163 | +4.5 | U 217.5 (-109) |
PA sports betting apps have varying lines on Game One of the finals, which will be played Wednesday night at 9 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ABC.
In the series opener, Los Angeles is somewhere around a 4.5-point favorite at most sportsbooks. The game’s over/under is set at 217.5 points. Look out for an extensive menu of NBA betting options and daily fantasy showdown contests at PA betting sites throughout the series.
Upcoming NBA Finals game odds
Here are updated PA sports betting odds on the next NBA finals game.
LeBron James is preparing for his 10th NBA Finals appearance
This year’s “Battle of Bron” will be the 10th time James has reached the NBA Finals. He has won three titles in his career, two during his tenure in Miami and another one in Cleveland in 2016. This is the Lakers’ first Finals appearance since 2010.
Los Angeles reached the finals by beating the Trailblazers, Rockets and Nuggets. They won every series 4-1 and have only lost three games during the entire playoffs. Miami has had similar success. The Heat swept the Pacers and beat the Bucks 4-1 and the Celtics 4-2.
Although the Lakers are favored, Miami may have the deeper team entering the finals. The Heat’s roster includes Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic and an emerging rookie in Tyler Herro. The Lakers rely heavily on their one-two punch of James and big man Anthony Davis.
If you need even more research before making your NBA Finals wagers, this preview from TheLines could be helpful.
Battle of Bron NBA Finals begin Wednesday, Sept. 30
It all starts Wednesday.
New versus old. East versus West. And a big promotion from DraftKings that can triple the winnings for new users.
It figures to be a fascinating series.
Call it the Battle of Bron.
Lead image credit: AP Photo/Charles Krupa
