2026 NBA title odds: 'A bet on the Lakers making any noise is stupid'

The Los Angeles Lakers aren’t good enough to win an NBA championship anytime soon, but that won't stop American sports bettors from bellying up and betting LeBron James and Luka Dončić to reach the promised land.

Seriously.

James looks every bit of 40 years old, Dončić struggles defensively and there’s no "big" that played meaningful minutes in the Lakers’ first-round loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

The worst part? There’s no easy fix to this mess.

Historically, James has mortgaged the future to win now, but Los Angeles has already done that. Outside of Dalton Knecht, there are no young prospects to improve via the trading block, and it’s highly doubtful James pushes management to fire his podcast buddy turned head coach, JJ Redick.

Former Lakers superstar and current NBA on TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal didn’t mince any words when asked on live television why L.A. flamed out in the first round for the second consecutive season.

"They’re just not good," Shaq admitted.

All that said, the Lakers will remain a popular team at the betting window. And purple-and-gold apologists tend to put their money where their mouths are. 

One bettor walked into the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas before the Lakers’ playoff finale and bet $1,000 on L.A. to win the title at 50/1.

"It’s not just Luka and LeBron," SuperBook vice president of risk Jeff Sherman told FOX Sports. "It's the Lakers who have falsely low odds.

"It’s been like that for many, many years, and it’s even more amplified with those two guys on the roster. The real challenge is finding a price where we can still offer perceived value to the customers while at the same time, not having to give away more than they’re willing to purchase."

Personally, I would need at least