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The Los Angeles Lakers picked up right where they left off in the 2022 season, dropping a season opener to the defending champion Warriors. It was a game in which the Lakers never led, falling behind by as many as 30 points in the third quarter.
LA shot just 25% from three-point range in the defeat, which prompted one fan to hilariously troll the team. An Indeed job ad was found online stating that the Lakers were hiring a three-point shooter.
But that fan wasn’t the only person that noticed the poor shooting performance. Even LeBron James opened up on the off night, being brutally honest about the roster after the game.
“We’re not a team constructed of great shooting.”
That fact is something that many NBA bettors expected when the season began, and it showed at the sportsbooks.
Nearly all of the Lakers’ postseason wagers were placed on the team missing the NBA playoffs.
In fact, according to betting expert John Ewing, 96% of gamblers at one particular sportsbook put money on the Lakers being home for the playoffs.
Lakers have moved from +230 to +195 to MISS the playoffs. 96% of bets are on Lakers to miss playoffs at BetMGM.
The heavy line movement shows just how many people have lost faith in LA.
It’s not much of a surprise. After all, Los Angeles missed the postseason last year with essentially the same roster. The team was unable to offload Russell Westbrook over the offseason, and with the salaries of Russ, LeBron, and AD, there wasn’t much money available to make any major moves in free agency.
Despite those challenges, there’s certainly still an opportunity for the Lakers to make the playoffs. Finishing just 10th in the West would land the team at least a play-in opportunity.
The 0-1 start, however, has moved these bettors one step closer to a payout. Los Angeles will look to get in the win column on Thursday against the crosstown Clippers.