The Los Angeles Clippers acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and are now the favorites to win the NBA title in 2020.
Caesars Sportsbook on Saturday morning moved the Clippers from 10-1 to 11-4 to win the 2019-20 NBA title, just ahead of the rival Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers, who were in the running to sign Leonard, had been the consensus 2020 title favorite since acquiring Anthony Davis to play alongside LeBron James. With Leonard off the table, the Lakers dropped from 7-5 to 4-1 at the Caesars Sportsbook.
The Milwaukee Bucks, at 4-1, have the best odds in the Eastern Conference, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers at 7-1.
The Golden State Warriors are 10-1, followed by the Utah Jazz at 14-1. The Houston Rockets are 15-1, and the Brooklyn Nets are 20-1.
The defending champion Toronto Raptors, with the loss of Leonard, dropped from 10-1 to 50-1. After losing George, the Oklahoma City Thunder saw their odds drop to 100-1.
Derek Stevens is planning on offering the “best viewing experience ever designed” at the sportsbook of his new casino, Circa, set to open in 2020.
Exact dimensions have not been finalized, but the video screen at the sportsbook at Circa will be three stories high and capable of showing a dozen or more games in high definition.
“It was very important to Derek that you walked into Circa from Fremont and you could see the sportsbook from anywhere in the casino,” said Rob Baker, field operations manager for Tre Builders, a construction company working on the new resort.
Progress on North Carolina’s sports betting bill has returned. The bill would allow sports betting on only tribal land.
Senate Bill 154 will likely get a hearing on the N.C. House floor in the coming days after passing a final committee Wednesday. On Tuesday, the House Commerce Committee gave its approval to the bill, which would also allow horse wagering on tribal land.
Rep. Kevin Corbin, R-Macon, said the bill would limit the betting to the Eastern Band of Cherokee casinos in Cherokee and Murphy. Betting on horses or sports would be not allowed outside of those areas, and it doesn’t expand the areas either.
“We’re not asking you this morning to legalize sports betting and gambling in North Carolina, we’re simply asking you to add this to the list of the games that are allowed” at the casinos, Corbin said.
A July 30 vote by Iowa regulators will determine rules for sports betting in the state.
If the guidelines are adopted by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission, the first wagers could be made as soon as mid-August.
Most of the rules cover casinos and companies that contract sports betting technology. They explain how companies should apply for a license with the state and regulators’ expectations for keeping information systems secure.
The rules also tell casinos and race tracks to create designated areas for sports betting where people can register before placing bets in person or on mobile apps. According to commission administrator Brian Ohorilko, people who want to gamble on sports will have to be over 21-years-old and within Iowa’s borders, even if they’re betting on their phone.
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