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The Duel

Kevin Durant Injury Drastically Changes Odds to Win NBA Finals

By Ian McCafferty

Houston Rockets v Golden State Warriors - Game Five
Houston Rockets v Golden State Warriors - Game Five / Lachlan Cunningham
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Cover Photo: Getty Images

For the first time in three years, there's trouble brewing in the Bay Area.

While the Warriors managed to take down the Rockets in Game 5 and grab a 3-2 series lead, they had to do so without Kevin Durant, who hurt his calf during the game. Durant suffered a non-contact leg injury in the third quarter of Game 5 and did not return. He's also been ruled out for the remainder of the series.

With Durant out in Game 6, and perhaps the rest of the playoffs, Golden State's road to the title just got tougher. They still have Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and company, but without Durant, the team's title odds have dropped to a season low.

Golden State has dropped all the way to +115 just a day after being -125 to win it all. The Bucks at +270 are now nearly even with the Warriors after they handled business and beat the Boston Celtics in five games. The Rockets and Raptors also saw jumps as Houston is +420, even while down 3-2, and Toronto is +600.

If Durant is out for an extended period of time, these odds could shift more even if the Warriors survive the Rockets. Without Durant, they would most likely still be favored over Denver or Portland, as would Houston, which is why those title odds did not move. But it remains to be seen how the odds would be against the Bucks or another team from the east.

For the first time since 2016, there's a clear path where the Golden State Warriors don't win the NBA Title. Now we just have to wait and see if Houston, or someone else, can follow through on it.

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Ian McCafferty is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Ian McCafferty also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username itmccaff. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.