If odds makers have the inside track on how this NBA season will end then it probably won't be very enjoyable for the Miami Heat.
A week after the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook tabbed Miami at the 36 1/2 wins (tied for third-fewest in the Eastern Conference), Bovada.lv released its newest NBA championship odds on Tuesday with the Heat drastically slipping from its opening 33/1 odds back on June 20 to 100/1 odds.
It's hardly surprising considering Pat Riley said Monday Chris Bosh's career with the Heat is probably over.
Miami's odds to win the East meanwhile opened at 40/1 or tied with Milwaukee, Detroit and Washington for eighth in the conference. The Heat, meanwhile, are receiving the third-best odds to win the Southeast Division at 13/4, behind the Hawks (7/4) and Wizards (3/1).
"There's always going to be a story line, but our expectations with the Heat never change," coach Erik Spoelstra responded Tuesday when asked about the lowered expectations for the Heat this coming season.
"It's what makes us who we are. We're stubborn in our belief about those expectations and we feel that this group has a big ceiling. It will take some time, learning this group and figuring out how to get the best out of it. But we do like the pieces and we feel it has great potential. So, we'd be doing a disservice to this group to listen whatever predictions are out there."
Udonis Haslem said the Heat will never get used to playing with lowered expectations.
"We use that kind of stuff. We use it as a motivation. We use it as fire," he said. "At the end of the day the only thing that matters is the guys that's in the locker room. For me, a large amount of my success has been that chip that I've carried on my shoulder, throughout my career. For me, knowing a good amount of those guys have that chip, that's good for me to start working with."
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