NBA betting: In these crazy playoffs, the Bucks are now the favorites to win it all

Thanks to James Harden's hamstring, Kyrie Irving's ankle and Kevin Durant's toes, the Brooklyn Nets are out of the NBA playoffs.

The Nets were overwhelming favorites to win it all before their second-round series against the Bucks, and those odds got even shorter after taking a 2-0 lead. More than 40 percent of the money wagered on who would win the NBA championship was on the Nets. After Brooklyn's Game 7 loss on Saturday night there were a lot of torn-up tickets and some very happy sportsbooks.

We're going to have a champion that hasn't won in a long time or never at all when these wild NBA playoffs are over. And the new favorite to win the title is the team that knocked off Brooklyn, the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bucks now favored to win NBA Finals

The Bucks caught some breaks in round two, but that's sports. They move on to the NBA's final four, and are the new favorites to take the title at BetMGM. Here are the odds on Sunday morning:

Bucks +170
Suns +275
Clippers +425
76ers +425
Hawks +2500

Those odds will shift after the Hawks or 76ers are eliminated in Game 7 on Sunday. But as of right now, the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference is atop the list of teams to win it all, and by a healthy margin.

The Bucks haven't been to an NBA Finals since 1974, but similar tales of woe can be shared among all five remaining survivors. It's pretty great to have some new blood vying for the title.

Bucks survive against the Nets

The Bucks haven't won big since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was still in Milwaukee, but they had some chances recently and couldn't get it done. The Bucks failed to make the NBA Finals in either of the past two seasons despite being a No. 1 seed. They blew a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals to the Toronto Raptors two years ago. Last year they were embarrassed by the Miami Heat in the second round. Giannis Antetokounmpo has been great but his ability to get the Bucks over the hump would have been questioned had Milwaukee been bounced by a short-handed Brooklyn team.

But the Bucks won. Durant's long shot at the end of regulation was a 2-pointer because he was barely on the line. That sent the game to overtime. The Bucks trailed late in overtime but two enormous shots by Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton gave them the lead, and the defense held. Irving was out with an ankle injury he suffered in Game 4, and Harden was never a huge factor in the series due to a hamstring injury from the first minute of Game 1. But Milwaukee won't complain. It was probably the Bucks' biggest win since the 1974 NBA Finals, or on a very short list.

And after that win Milwaukee is favored to win it all. Part of those odds are Chris Paul's COVID-19 absence, Kawhi Leonard's mysterious knee injury and the fact that the 76ers and Hawks still aren't out of the second round. But for now, the Bucks are in pole position to win an NBA title.