The NBA announced earlier this month that they would be completing their season in Orlando, Fla. On Friday night, the league unveiled the schedule for all 22 teams set to fight for the postseason.
Games will begin on July 30, with the league hosting a doubleheader to tip things off. The New Orleans Pelicans will take on the Utah Jazz in the first game of the night, with the LA Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers squaring off in game two.
The next day, the league has six games on the schedule, and six games will be the norm for the majority of the regular-season dates. There are seven different days that will feature six games, and games will be played and streamed throughout the day.
ESPN will be carrying many marquee games during the regular season, but all games will be streamed on NBA.TV. This will be the only chance for fans to watch their favorite teams, as fans are not allowed on campus at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Regular-season games are set to wrap up on Aug. 14, but there could be some additional games needed before the playoffs begin. Any team within four games of the eighth seed will be put into a playoff scenario to determine the final playoff seed.
Six teams will be eliminated after the eight regular-season games, and they will be forced to leave the campus. The eight teams that did not qualify for Orlando are reportedly asking the league for a separate event to begin training for next season.
The NBA is expected to return just one week after Major League Baseball begins its 2020 regular season.
FanDuel Has Plenty of Betting Options
With the official unveiling of the schedule on Friday night, FanDuel Sportsbook has updated its NBA odds. FanDuel pulled several betting options off of the table during the suspension, but bettors have plenty of different ways to bet now.
Expect some of these odds to change as the league gets closer to resuming, but now is a great time to get in on the action for some of these wagers.
NBA Championship Odds
The Milwaukee Bucks are still the favorites to win the NBA Championship at +240, but they have plenty of teams right behind them. The Los Angeles Lakers are listed at +260, while the LA Clippers are listed at +320.
These three teams are the prohibitive favorites to win the NBA Championship, but it will be interesting to see how the long delay affects each team.
Eastern Conference Champion
The Bucks are overwhelming favorites to win the Eastern Conference at -175. The Boston Celtics are the next team on the list, but they are currently being listed at +700. The Toronto Raptors (+800), Miami Heat (+900), and the Philadelphia 76ers (+900) are the next three teams on the list.
Western Conference Champion
FanDuel Sportsbook sees the Western Conference as a two-team race, with both of these teams hailing from Los Angeles. The Lakers are the favorites at +165, but the Clippers are right behind them at +175.
The Houston Rockets are the third team on the list, but they are only given odds of +700 to win the Western Conference.
MVP Odds
FanDuel is also taking odds on the Most Valuable Player Award, although most people consider the award to be wrapped up. Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed at -2400 and is the overwhelming betting favorite. LeBron James is next on the list at +1100, but his performances in Orlando likely won’t sway the decision.
