“Betting $1,000,000 On Nikola Jokic Would Win $5000”: Redditor Points Out Skewed Assists Odds For 2023 NBA Finals

Nikola Jokic is one of the most well-rounded players in the NBA. He can score, pass, and rebound with the best of them. But, it is his playmaking as a big man that makes him a marvel. The Joker is always looking to get others involved. So, heading into the NBA Finals, the odds were heavily in favor of him racking up the most assists. And, as one Redditor pointed this meant betting on his assists was pointless, seeing as it was extremely skewed. To the point where even a $1,000,000 bet would yield close to nothing.

Jokic had an incredible run in the 2023 Finals, leading the Nuggets to a 4-1 win over the Miami Heat. His heroics saw Denver bag its first NBA Championship, as the Serbian superstar led the Playoffs in total points, assists, and rebounds. A feat that only he ever accomplished in the league’s 75-year history. And one, that earned him the utmost respect of Shaquille O’Neal.

Redditor points out that bettors stood to gain close to nothing if they bet on Nikola Jokic leading the Playoffs in assists

Following the conclusion of the 2023 NBA Finals, a Redditor has shared an interesting fact about Nikola Jokic. Posting on the r/nba subreddit, rbmw263 broked down the betting odds surrounding Jokic’s assist numbers.

In what must have taken an incredible amount of time to calculate, he revealed that the Joker was -20000 to lead the finals in assists. Moreover, because of the skewed odds, anyone who bet a total of $1,000,000 on him leading the Finals only stood to gain a measly $5000. An amount that isn’t even proportional to how much would have been bet.

However, placing such a bet wouldn’t have even mattered, seeing as Jokic didn’t lead the Finals in assists. In fact, he only averaged 7.2 assists per game, whereas his Nuggets teammate, Jamal Murray averaged 10. In addition, the Heat’s Jimmy Butler came in at third averaging 6.8 per game. So, even if anyone was hoping to make an extra $5000 on their million-dollar bet, they definitely didn’t get their money back.

On the other hand, fans would have been better off placing a bet on Murray, as he reportedly had +4200 odds of leading the Finals in assists. Either way, it’s unlikely anybody hit with their bets this NBA Finals. But, one entity that did make a lot of money off of Jokic was Taco Bell.

Taco Bell saw a $4,400,000 increase in brand value thanks to Jokic

While bettors did not get much value out of Nikola Jokic, Taco Bell made a killing off of the Joker’s exploits in the NBA. If the Apex Marketing Group is correct, it has seen a $4,400,000 increase in its brand value.

For those who do not know, Jokic was drafted with the 41st pick back in 2014. However, rather than showing him get picked on his big night, the NBA ran a commercial for Taco Bell’s “Quesarito”. Since then, the video has gone viral, resulting in the fast food chain netting the big bucks. All thanks to the Serbian center’s rise to superstardom.

The Joker has now established himself as one of the greatest of all time. And, while 29 other teams have regrets about passing on him, the Denver Nuggets and Taco Bell have none.