Golden State Warriors No Longer Odds-On Favorites To Win 2019 NBA Finals After Kevin Durant Injury

All season long, the Golden State Warriors have been the odds-on favorites to win the 2019 NBA Finals. That is no longer the case after Game 5 of their second-round series with the Houston Rockets.

The back-to-back defending champs took a 3-2 series lead with their win Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. It came at a price as Kevin Durant suffered a right calf strain.

The extent of Durant's injury is unknown. He’s set to undergo an MRI Thursday, though he's going to miss Game 6 in Houston, at a minimum.

In the wake of Durant's injury, Golden State now has even odds to win their third straight title, per BetOnline.ag. They remain the overall favorites with the Milwaukee Bucks gaining momentum.

Milwaukee is the only team that’s punched their ticket to the conference finals. They did so with ease, beating the Boston Celtics in five games after a first-round sweep of the Detroit Pistons. The Bucks had the best record in the regular season with 60 wins, and they are considered the biggest threats to Golden State with 5/2 championship odds.

Houston is third with 11/2 odds, needing two straight wins to eliminate Golden State. The Rockets are 2/1 underdogs to upset the Warriors as they return home for Game 6 Friday night and hope to force a Game 7 Sunday on the road.

The Portland Trail Blazers (50/1) and Philadelphia 76ers (40/1) are long shots to win the NBA Finals as they trail their respective second-round series 3-2. Both teams are scheduled to play Game 6 at home Thursday night.

The Toronto Raptors (8/1) can move on to the Eastern Conference Finals with a win in Philadelphia. Kawhi Leonard has been the best player in the East this postseason, so he would give Toronto a chance against Milwaukee.

The Denver Nuggets (16/1) are a win away from eliminating Portland. They would be an underdog against Golden State in the next round, even if Durant can't play.

The Nuggets would be given very little shot to defeat the Warriors if Durant is healthy.