Lakers News: LA Opens Season With Third-Best Odds To Win West

Plenty of contenders this season.

Your Los Angeles Lakers face a difficult path to the 2024 NBA Finals thanks to a loaded Western Conference this upcoming season. 

Still, LA trails just the reigning champion Denver Nuggets and the revamped Phoenix Suns as betting favorites for the conference championship to open this regular season.

Eastern and Western Conference odds entering the 2023-24 NBA Season, per @FDSportsbook: pic.twitter.com/ovmjfxZ2cx

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 24, 2023

It makes sense that the defending champion Nuggets rank ahead of the Lakers, especially after they defeated LA in the Western Conference Finals last year on their way to the 2023 title. 

Denver lost two key pieces on their bench this offseason after Bruce Brown and Jeff Green went to Indiana and Houston respectively but hope to continue their success with multiple young players slotted for more minutes. 

Phoenix swapped out Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton for Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen to join their dynamic duo of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. 

The Suns also lost to the Nuggets during the 2023 playoffs but open this year ahead of them thanks to their new core. 

LA also bolstered their rotation after they re-signed Austin Reaves, D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura and Jared Vanderbilt as key pieces from their 2023 Western Conference run. 

General manager Rob Pelinka also added from outside the organization as Taurean Prince, Christian Wood, Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes all joined the fray for Darvin Ham's rotation. 

The Lakers' +750 odds to advance to the Finals are tied for third-most in the West with the 2022 champion Golden State Warriors. The Dubs are seeking revenge for their disappointing repeat bid season in 2023. 

Chris Paul joins Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green as the NBA's longest-tenured trio as the veteran point guard hopes to win the first ring in his career. 

It'll truly be the wild, wild West in 2024 as plenty of other teams unmentioned could easily make a run for the title. 

LA can only hope that when the dust settles, it'll be them lifting the conference trophy and possibly Larry O'Brien next summer. 

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