The Texas Rangers made history earlier this week, winning the franchise’s first World Series title in the club’s 63 years of existence and snapping baseball’s longest expansion team title drought.
The victory by the Rangers over the Arizona Diamondbacks opens the door for other teams in the “Big Four” sports leagues (the MLB, NBA, NFL and NHL) to be the next to win their first title. One candidate that jumps off the page is the Phoenix Suns, who have made it to the NBA Finals on three occasions (1976, 1993 and 2021) but have never hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Suns stand out as the next team to snap their championship blues, as they currently have the best title odds (+600) of any non-champ in the NBA at DraftKings Arizona Sportsbook, ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers (+1200), Memphis (+4500) and New Orleans (+500).
They also have better Arizona sports betting odds than the top non-championship teams in the other three major leagues — Cincinnati of the NFL (+1400), the NHL’s Florida Panthers (+1600) and San Diego in MLB (+1800).
Odds of Next First-Time Champion
The original Winnipeg Jets (now the Arizona Coyotes) won three WHA titles but none in the NHL. The Nets and Pacers won ABA titles but none in the NBA. The Bills, Chargers and Titans (as the Houston Oilers) won AFL titles but none in the NFL. The Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns and Detroit Lions have never won a Super Bowl, but because they all won NFL championships before the Super Bowl era, they are not included on this list.
Suns Off to Slow Start in Search of Title
It’s safe to say no potential first-time champ in the four biggest sports leagues has as golden of an opportunity as the Suns in 2023-24.
The Suns’ sluggish start and injuries to star guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal have impeded that progress. But oddsmakers, like those at BetMGM Arizona, don’t seem worried about the team’s 2-3 opening stretch. If Booker, Beal and fellow superstar Kevin Durant can stay healthy, they should have Phoenix in prime position to snap the franchise’s 56-year championship drought, bringing the Valley’s first title home since the D’backs won it all in 2001.
For now, Phoenix is looking to get back on track against Philadelphia on the road Saturday after Thursday’s home loss to San Antonio.
