NBA championship odds aren’t giving Orlando much credit against the Lakers, but they were the underdogs against Cleveland and Boston, and looks who is still playing? The Magic may be getting even more help, but it’s uncertain whether it’s needed or not.

Jameer Nelson tore his labrum just before he was able to play in his first All-Star game, and he was largely credited with the Magic’s ascent in the East. The Magic have gotten by without him, picking up Rafer Alston from Houston just before the trade deadline, and he’s been crucial to Orlando’s NBA odds during this run, including a game against the Cavaliers in which he was unconscious from beyond the arc.

Players looking for betting management advice are waiting to see if the Magic clear Nelson to play, and the worry is that he’ll mess with the chemistry that Orlando has built with Alston in the lineup. Clearly, Nelson is a better player than Alston, but the Magic have gotten used to Alston over the last four months, and it may not be the right time to put him in the lineup. Nelson lit up the Lakers for 27.5 points in Orlando’s two wins over the Lakers during the regular season, but he surely won’t be 100%, timing-wise anyway, and to jump into a playoff series cold when the intensity is high is tough enough, but in the Finals? Nelson, and the Magic’s NBA championship odds, may be better served sitting this one out.